Darkhearts
by Remful
Summary: "Have you never heard the old adage? 'Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it' Perhaps you should think on these words, and on your actions. History teaches us a lot, and you're about to learn a very harsh lesson indeed..." Part 2 of the "Into the Darkness" Series.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! Welcome back everyone! A few days earlier than I had planned, but I'll not complain about that.**

 **First, THIS IS A SEQUEL! If you've not read Darkworlds, this will probably make very little sense, so go read it first.**

 **Second, there will be character deaths throughout this story. If that isn't your thing, then don't read on.**

 **Third, I do not own Fire Emblem or any of the canon characters. I could probably get away with claiming to own my OCs, though.**

* * *

 **EIGHT YEARS PASS….**

In every children's tale, the great, defining, dark event from the Heroes past happens on a dark and stormy night, with the wind howling like a wolf pack, and lightning streaking from the sky. Rain was also usually involved too.

This was not a children's tale.

It was, in fact, what the Hoshidan City Guardsmen would call a 'perfect' night. No too warm, nor to cold. A light breeze and not a cloud in the sky. It was truly peaceful. Very little crime ever happened on nights like this, so many of them let their guards down. The very thought that someone would break the natural peace was far from their minds. To them, it was just another night.

* * *

It was the light tremor that awoke Ryoma. Earthquakes were not uncommon in Hoshido, and the King had been a light sleeper for many years now. It didn't concern him all that much, however. He decided to take a walk, the guards would not bother him, and in all likelihood, his son would have been awoken by the quake. He didn't rouse his wife, who remained asleep, slipped on a simple dressing robe, and quietly left his chambers.

His son, Shiro, was a healthy young boy of ten years. He inherited his mothers hair, and enjoyed his daily training regime. He had inherited his father's knack of light sleep, and would one day wield the Raijinto for Hoshido's glory.

This was the thought Ryoma had when he passed the room in the palace where the blade was kept.

The great shrine, was usually kept under lock and key.

The great shrine was unlocked, its door wide open.

A figure, a heavy, form concealing cloak was around him with its hood up, was halfway across the room already, making their way to the holy blade.

"Stop!" Ryoma barrelled into the figure, and knocked them down. Despite lacking his sword arm, Ryoma had kept himself in shape, he was in no ways unhealthy.

The figure fell to the ground, and seemingly struggled to stand.

"Who are you?" Ryoma queried.

"Where is she?" The hunched figured asked in a quiet, rasping tone as they stumbled to their feet.

"Who are you?" The King demanded again, moving closer. "Who are you looking for?"

"Where. Is. My. Daughter?!" The figure tore his robe off, revealing the sole, hate filled eye of his younger brother, Corrin. "Where's Cana?! Where's the girl you _STOLE?!"_

"Corrin? What are you…ask a stupid question. Come brother, let us negotiate for her return. You want her back, and we need reinforcements….if you help us…." Ryoma knew that talking about this now was a bad idea. He was tired, and Corrin was brimming with hate.

 _Still._ He thought. _I have to try._

"Blackmail? You call yourself an honourable kingdom, yet you resort to blackmail? Tch…all you do is lie and lie and lie. To yourself most of all. You claimed to care about me, yet I had to arrange my own return. You claim that we are brothers by blood, yet Sumeragi is _not_ my father. You claim to be noble and good, yet you KIDNAPPED MY DAUGHTER! She was four months old!"

"It's been eight years!" Ryoma cried. "Eight years of nothing!"

"You destroyed the Gate! How the hell was I meant to cross over to make this 'great alliance' without some way of getting back?! WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER RYOMA?!"

"She isn't here." Came a voice from the entrance of the chamber.

The blonde woman was clearly Nohrian by birth. She wore a ceremonial dress robes, and kept her hair at a short, practical length.

"…This is your queen, I take it?"

"Scarlet." The blonde confirmed, and folded her arms. "How _did_ you get back?"

"The pleasure is all mine, Lady Scarlet." Corrin said, taking a mocking bow. "Didn't expect to see a Nohrian here, let alone as Hoshido's Queen. As for the how…" He smirked cruelly. "I think I can shed some light on that. Simply put, there's a traitor in your midst. They built a makeshift gate, and brought myself and my team here."

Corrin tilted his head, smirk still present. "Or maybe I'm lying..."

"Team? What do you mea-"Ryoma started, but his wife interrupted him.

"=I'm from Cheve." Scarlet stated bluntly, her voice betrayed the fact she was offended.. "That makes me Chevois, _not Nohrian_. Our rebellion may have failed, but with Hoshido's assistance, we managed to—"

"Yes yes." Corrin waved a hand dismissively. *You got all of your gallant, righteous men out alive. Good job."

Corrin sneered, and turned his back to Ryoma, facing the Raijinto. He extended a hand, and curled his fingers around the hilt.

"You won't be able to harness its power Corrin, only those worthy can do so." Ryoma chided with a sigh. "If you surrender now, I swear by the crown…by the Dawn Dragon, that I'll show you mercy."

The Havenite King ignored him, and removed it from its stand. He gave it a few practice swings, and smiled faintly, confident in its weight.

"Corrin, put it down…" Ryoma warned.

Corrin scowled, and spun the royal blade in a wide arc.

 _Sparks_ flittered across the surface.

"Was that _worthy_ enough for you?" Corrin spat. "Let's see then, shall we?"

The younger King started for the elder when….

* * *

"Papa?"

* * *

Corrin snapped his attention to the door. "Who was that?"

"No one." Ryoma answered, far too quickly.

"No no no..he said 'Papa'. As in, Father." Corrin grinned. "Let's introduce him to his _loving_ Uncle, shall we?" He started for the doors, only for Scarlet to stop him.

"No." She snarled, blocking his path. "He is innocent in this. Leave him be!"

"You'd really sacrifice yourself for that whelp?"

"He's my son." Was the simple reply.

Something gleamed in Corrin's eye, and he regarded Scarlet with genuine admiration, his demeanour changing almost instantly.

"Your husband is unworthy of you, Lady Scarlet." He said simply. "You are a paragon of motherhood, willing to die to save your child. _That_ I can respect."

Corrin turned and started to walk away. He paused after less than four steps. He sighed, wheeling around, and thrust Raijinto through Scarlet's abdomen, her ceremonial robe offering next to no protection. The blonde's eyes widened in shock, and a strangled gurgle left her mouth, along with a thin trickle of blood.

"Guh?!"

"I am sorry, Lady Scarlet, truly I am….but I can't have people thinking I've gone soft, nor can I continue to allow Hoshido and the Muromachi dynasty go unpunished for their crimes against my family. You'll live if you get help." Corrin said in an oddly kind, apologetic tone, before turning his attention to Ryoma. "This is your choice, dear brother. Raijinto or Scarlet. Your Sword or your Queen. The Gods Favour, or The Woman you love."

Corrin turned once more, and walked away. With as much contempt as he could muster into his voice, he spat his ultimatum.

"Make your choice."

* * *

Corrin didn't stay long enough to learn what Ryoma's answer was. He glanced at the short Prince on his way out. "You are Shiro, yes?"

"Who are you?" The blonde youth demanded.

"I am your Uncle, Corrin."

Horror crossed Shiro's face. "You're the bad man! Uncle Takumi warned me 'bout you!"

Corrin bent down so as to talk face to face. "I need you to do something important, okay? Go and get your Aunt Sakura…or any Healer."

"W-Why?! You're gonna hurt people, right?"

The Havenite King grabbed him by the shoulders, his voice utterly serious. "Shiro! Your mother needs a healer! Run!"

Hoshido's heir was shocked still for a few moments.

"RUN!"

The boy did. Barely holding back tears, Shiro ran as fast as his ten year old legs could carry him.

"Shiro!" He called after him.

The young boy turned to look, the fear still on his face.

"….Look after Cana for me." Corrin said with the faintest of smiles, and disappeared down another corridor.

Shiro blinked at the request, then remembered his duty.

He needed his Aunt.

His mother needed his Aunt.

He needed his mother.


	2. Chapter 2

In the mountains north of Hoshido, at the foot of an extinct volcano, a small village is located. This village is home to the Flame Tribe, a hardy society of isolationists, who were technically allied with Hoshido.

It was also where Hinoka, Princess of Hoshido, was currently staying.

With her niece.

Despite of, or perhaps _because of_ the fact she had been privy to the girls kidnapping, Hinoka had grown quite attached to the young girl currently dashing about with one of the Flame Tribe children. It still stung her whenever the girl called her 'Mama' though. The Princess had kept her hair short even after many years, for two reasons. One, she had come to like it short. Two, it had been short for so long, it had become iconic, so much so that the one time she did grow it long, no one recognised her (this included her own sister, Sakura. Which had led to a very awkward conversation between the two.).

Kana had taken to life in Hoshido well (even if she didn't understand why it was rude to forego footwear), and despite being kept a closely guarded secret in the Kingdom, had grown into a healthy, happy eight year old. Her eyes glinted with the same golden tint as her mother, and her dark hair was currently up in a neat, out-of-the-way bun.

Her current companion had her silver locks up in twin tails, and a happy giggle bubbled up from her throat as she was chased. The pair ran around, avoiding the various Tribesmen, who regarded them with affectionate amusement. Despite their somewhat chilly appearance to outsiders, the people of the Flame Tribe were _deeply_ family oriented and each family was close. Children grew up together, and friends were more often than not considered all but kin.

A concept utterly foreign to the Hoshidan Hinoka, who watched simple village life from her vantage point of the great halls balcony.

* * *

It was Rinkah who snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Kids, what a handful, huh?" the pale haired woman beside her commented. Rinkah had, in the last year, taken over as Chief of the Tribe after her father stood down. The old man had gone up to the Fire Shrine, and now acted as a monk of the Flame Spirit worshiped by the tribe. In the end, it had been the death of his wife, Rinkah's mother, which had been the last nail in the coffin.

"Yeah…"

"But that's the way things go. Kids'll be kids."

Hinoka fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Hm? Something wrong?"

"There was a time I'd have done anything to really be that girl's mother.."

There was a chuckle beside her.

"What?"

Rinkah sighed. "Hinoka. Face facts. You're in love with Corrin."

Hinoka shot her an incredulous look. "N-No I'm not!"

"Look. I know what being in love looks and feels like." Rinkah smiled softly. "Hayato had the same look…. _I_ had the same look when I realised it was me he was in love with. Love doesn't give a fig _who_ it makes you fall for. Man or woman, noble or lowborn… _brother_ or not."

Hinoka shivered at Rinkah's words. She should feel disgusted with herself. She knew this. It was _wrong_ and _foul_ to love ones brother like she did.

"Tell me the truth. He's not related to you, is he?"

"W-What?"

"Oh please! We aren't as foolish as some think." Rinkah snorted "I do not doubt that he is Mikoto's son. What I doubt is that he's Sumeragi's."

"…I…he's my step-brother." She murmured quietly.

"….Hinoka, look at me."

The princess, with some obvious reluctance, turned to face the Flame Chief, who placed her hands on her shoulders.

"It's okay to admit being in love." Rinkah said kindly. "What isn't okay is beating yourself up over it."

"But I…"

"You are that girl's guardian. You have _earned_ the right to call yourself her mother. Maybe one day she will go home. Maybe one day she'll fight against Hoshido like her father. It matters little. Right now, right here, you are her mother."

"….I don't know if I can be ready for-"

"No one is ever _ready_ to become a parent, Hinoka. I wasn't in the slightest."

"What do you mean? Rhajat's a fine girl."

Rinkah sighed. "When my Rhajat was a babe, she fell gravely ill." she said quietly. "Our healers told both myself and Hayato that she wouldn't survive the night. It was winter, and the snows had come early."

Hinoka said nothing.

"I carried her up to the shrine of our deity….I prayed. I prayed and pleaded and begged."

"And?"

"I paid the price that needed paid." Rinkah said. "I cursed her, just as the spirit said just as the monks instructed."

"What does that mean?"

"…If or when Rhajat leaves our land, she will never return."

Hinoka blinked. "…That's…oddly specific."

Rinkah rolled her eyes. "The Spirit is allowed to be specific….on account of being The Spirit."

"But…"

"I have to ask…" She continued. "What is it about him you love? Last you saw him, you thought he was dead.."

"…I don't know…" Hinoka's voice was small.

"Louder." Was the simple command.

"I don't know!"

"Good!" Rinkah roared. "Then stop bloody beating yourself up over some brat you clearly _don't_ love, and damn well find someone you do."

Rinkah shook her head, and started to walk away. "…Don't hate yourself, Hinoka."

Hinoka sighed, and lent against the railing.

"Mama?" Kana trotted up, and cocked her head curiously. "What's wrong?"

Hinoka sighed sadly. "Nothing, Little One."

She felt something wrap around her waist. The red head look down, and smiled.

"Kana? What are you doing?"

"Hugs make people feel better Mama." Came the small girl's childlike response, one Hinoka was unwilling to argue with. Hinoka smiled, and gently tousled the young girl's hair.

"Hehe…you're right, Kana." She said, and dipped down to pick her up, and happily spun her around, the little girl squealing in delight.

* * *

Later, in the great hall, the trio sat down to dinner. As Hinoka was a royal, the feast the hosts put on was fairly extravagant. Since food was almost as sparse as it was in Nohr, no part of the animals were wasted. Since tonight's meal was rabbit stew, the rabbit fur would likely be used to add padding to armour.

The doors to the great hall were thrown open, and Saizo stalked in.

"You will return to the capital now, Princess. His Majesty demands it." Saizo said simply. "Leave the girl here."

"This is not Hoshido." Rinkah stated in a _far_ too calm tone. "We are your _ally_ not your _vassal."_

Saizo allowed annoyance to blaze in his eye. "It is not the time."

Rinkah snarled. "I _allow_ your presence here, _Katsu._ Do _not_ forget where you are or to whom you speak. I am Rinkah, Chief of the Flame Tribe. _Address me as such."_

Saizo glared at her. "How long would you la-"

"What's the reason for my return, Saizo?"

"The Queen was attacked. It was the traitor."

 _The Traitor._ Hinoka thought. _We're not even calling him by name anymore._

"How is she?"

"She'll never walk again." Came the blunt response.

Hinoka flinched. "I see…" She shot Rinkah a pleading look. The woman sighed.

"Fine. Just…..this _isn't_ forever, understand?"

"I owe you one, Rinkah." Hinoka replied in a relived tone.

The Chief grinned broadly. "I'll hold you to that, Princess."

* * *

Later, after Hinoka departed with Saizo, Rinkah pulled her new charge aside.

"So….you Kana?"

Kana nodded, not looking up at her. The small girl was shivering, and focusing on her feet.

Rinkah blinked as realisation hit her. She smiled faintly, and removed the Oni mask rom her head. She then bent down to offer the wooden mask to the girl.

"See? It's just a mask Kid."

Kana took it, and swiftly put it on. With a steadily growing grin, the small girl pounced on Rinkah….or, to be more precise due to her comparative strength, pounced _at_ Rinkah.

"RWAAAR!"

The Flame Chief chuckled.

"Kid, I think you're going to fit in just fine."

* * *

 **We'll visit Haven next chapter.**

 **Also, since I'm guessing I'll get questions, the way I see the 'Saizo' name is that it's only used by the current Saizo. It also would help to differentiate between each Saizo. For example Asugi's actions would be remembered as Saizo Asugi, rather than just 'Saizo'. I understand that the Saizo's use a simple numbering system, but I figure adding the name will allow for more…..individuality to both Saizo(Katsu) and Saizo(Asugi), when he shows up (plus any previous Saizo's I write about in flashbacks.).**

 **I used Saizo a lot there...sorry.**

 **Anywho, read, review, ask me questions if you have them, regardless of what their about (although if you're asking about particle physics, I probably can't help you.).**


	3. Chapter 3

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

The men striding down the cobbled streets had the typical grouchy look of a city guard of their faces. It was the end of the day shift, and many of the Havenites were packing up and closing for the day. It had been market day, and as such, various smells hung in the air. Some good, some bad. All mingling into one great 'smell of the city'. There was also a veritable sea of varying litter left in their wake.

The shorter, and elder of the two guards hated it.

"It was easier in Nohr." He commented grumpily. "You didn't need to question things in Nohr.

"No it weren't Sam." The younger of the pair chirped. "At least we don't need to move dead bodies out of the streets."

"At least there was stuff to _do_ in Nohr."

"No one tries to kill us here, food and water are readily available…"

"I don't like it Fred. No society is this…. _flawless."_

"You worry too much." Fred grinned. "It's quiet, it's the last patrol of our shift, enjoy it!"

"You are far too cheerful. It's unnerving."

* * *

It was later on their patrol that Fred pointed out a particular house.

"Hey, ain't that Minister Mozu's place?"

"Aye. Still can't believe she fell for that green haired asshole." Sam commented. "His majesty was wrong…I think, to let him live here."

Fred nodded in agreement. "You might be right on that one."

" 'course I'm right."

Inside, Kaze ran a hand through his hair, and re-read his notes. Less than a week before, the deeprealm gate to his 'home realm' had been fixed. He could finally go and rescue Cana (or whatever Hoshido had named her) and, more importantly, prevent the war between Nohr, Hoshido _and_ Haven.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the tiny footfalls of his daughter coming up the stairs to his office. He turned, and smiled at her.

Midori skipped over, and held out a still steaming cup.

"I know how stressed you get Papa, so I made you tea!"

Kaze smiled wearily, and tousled the young girls' hair. "Thank you honey….now run along, I need to finish this."

"You'll be finished for dinner, right? I grew the carrots special!" Midori's tone was pleading, the kind of pleading that only a daughter could muster.

The ninja chuckled. "Of course, I'll be right behind you."

"Okay Papa!"

* * *

The guardsmen's patrol eventually brought them close to the palace.

"You ever wonder about what they get up to in there?" Fred asked.

"Nah, I don't get paid to think about the royals personal lives. Neither do you. Try not to think too much about it."

"Think it's true what they say about the Queen? That she's gone ma-"

Sam snapped. "Losing a child changes people, Fred. Aye. I think it's true."

"Think his Majesty'll stick with h-"

"Enough Fred. Let it rest."

The royal palace was based in the centre of the city. A tower built of the remains of the old Castle Gyges that overshadowed the entire city. The first few floors were reserved for the council, the throne room, and the grand ball room. Below that were the royal training rooms and emergency food stores, enough to feed most of, if not all of, the City-Kingdom. Above the council rooms was the royal library, where Prince Caleb sent most of his time. The young prince had always known he'd had a twin, and, despite being eight, took a great interest in the search for her. Above that was the royal dining hall and royal kitchens. Then came the royal armoury and barracks, then came the various bedchambers of the royal family (Corrin had built more of these than were currently required, but since he guessed that there'd be more royals eventually, it was a good idea.). At the very top, in vague mockery of both Krakenburg and Shirasagi, was a large beacon fire.

It was in one of the many sparring rings, located in the great underground chamber of the tower, that a young girl was watching her cousin train. She had her mothers golden eyes and her fathers blue-grey hair, save for a single braid on the right side of her face, which was dyed red. Princess Sophie stood beside her mother, Princess Lilith, sister of the King. Lilith had kept her hair braided, but had swapped her formerly simple clothing for more regal attire. Light blue robes with long sleeves, with black cuffs with swirling, golden patterns. She wore a simple band of silver on her head, and she wore thin slippers on her feet. Despite the fact she had worn boots in the Northern fortress that had been in large part due to the fact that she had no real love of getting horse shit on her feet. Like her brother, she couldn't actually stand wearing footwear, but did wear her slippers to take the edge off of the cold floor.

Despite the fact that she was only eight years old, the only Princess of the Teague family was already gleefully awaiting the time when she could start her training in two years' time. She was watching her cousin sparring with his tutor in one of the training rings down below.

Shigure landed on his rear for the fifth time this session. His quarterstaff rolled from his grip, and he slumped his head onto the dirt.

"Again."

The Crown Prince's trainer was none other than Lady Morgan, former Princess of Plegia. She was one of King Corrin's so called 'Royal Blades', his ten personal champions. She wasn't a cruel trainer by any means. But she gave him no special treatment. He was her student in the ring, not her prince. Over the last few years, she had grown her silvery hair long, and had kept it as wild as it ever was.

"But, Lady Morg-"Shigure tried to protest.

" _Again."_

Sighing, the young Prince stood up slowly, and took hold of his staff again. He readied himself, and launched his attack, trying to strike low.

Only for his intent to be caught and blocked by Morgan's own staff. The elder woman smiled faintly. "Don't focus your gaze on your target, Shigure."

"B-But that makes no sense! How am I not meant to aim?! Why am I even training on foot? I'll be a Dark Flier!"

"Not if I don't think you can handle it!" Morgan sighed. With an almost elegant move, she slammed her staff against Shigure's, causing his staff to go flying. She ducked down low, and swiped his legs out from under him.

"I am leader of the Dark Fliers, Shigure. I care little that you are the Prince in this matter. If you would be a liability, you will not be a Dark Flier."

Tapping her staff on the sand, she grinning teasingly at the young Prince.

" _Again."_

* * *

The two Guards stopped off at an old haunt. The store's weathered wooden sign read 'Merry's Bakery'. The store was run by the eponymous Merry, a fairly ordinary looking woman with brown eyes, black hair and a warm smile, who lived in the few rooms on the floor above. Guardsmen were always welcome, and Merry always kept a loaf or two aside for them. No one really remembered when she appeared, but, due to her Plegian accent, most assumed she'd been here from the beginning. Merry was waiting for them at the front counter.

"Afternoon lads. How's the city?"

"The same trash-filled home it always is, Merry." Sam grumbled.

"That's what happens when it's market day ~." Merry chimed in.

"Oh shut it Merry."

"Not a chance in hell Honey." The woman smiled.

Sam grinned softly. "Then gimme our bread already."

The Plegia Woman nodded, and bustled off out to the rear of the store, and soon returned, basket in hand. Fred placed a few coins on the counter, and took it from Merry.

"Take it easy Lads. Keep up the good work an' all."

The guards nodded their thanks, and headed out. They got to the end of the street before either of them broke the silence.

"Back to base then eh? I reckon we can get the last of the coffee 'fore the night lot get in."

"Just another day in Grandhaven, huh?" The younger guard joked.

"Shut it Fred. "

* * *

 **This may seem an…..** _ **odd**_ **chapter. But I tried to weave in a view from the ordinary Havenite (or in this case, a pair of ordinary city guardsmen), and to give a snippet of how they see the city/spend their daily lives.**

 **And yes, the guards are a shout-out to (Sgt.) Fred Colon and (Cmdr.)Samuel Vimes of Discworld.**


	4. Chapter 4

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

" _Again."_

Shigure stared at the ceiling of the training ring, and winced as he tried to move. Morgan kept a casual smile on her face.

"Come on, Siggy. One more go before we call it."

Shigure groaned. "…Noooo…"

"Come oooon!"

"Cease picking on my son." Came a stern voice.

Striding into the ring, quarterstaff in hand, was Queen Azura. She wore a dark blue outfit with a semi-see-through veil over her mouth. Resting around her neck as always was her mother's necklace. At her side was the young Prince, Caleb. The young boy wore a similarly dark blue shirt, with dark leggings. He'd forgone footwear, like his father (and, unknowingly, his sister.).

She ushered her youngest son up the stairs, and turned her attention to Morgan.

"If you desire a challenge…." Azura started, and at a blinding pace, dashed toward Morgan, twirling her staff as she went. She ground to a halt with the staff mere centimetres from Morgan's face. "I am more than happy to oblige you."

The casual look on Morgan's face shifted to a gleefully murderous one. " _Fantastic."_

"Shigure, go to your Aunt." Azura ordered as she strode over to one side of the ring.

"But-"

" _Now."_

Without needing to be told again, Shigure scarpered. He dashed (or rather, limped. Morgan _may_ have gone a tad overboard with her training) up to Lilith and Sophie.

Up above from the viewing balcony, Lilith allowed a momentary look of concern to form on her face. Whilst the rumour that Azura had gone mad was just that, a mere rumour, it was true she hadn't take the loss of her only daughter well. In fact, Lilith couldn't recall her leaving the palace for at least three years after Cana's kidnapping.

"Auntie Zuzu and Miss Morgan are gonna fight?" Sophie asked her mother innocently.

"It looks like it, Soph."

"Why?"

Lilith opened her mouth to reply, only to be interrupted by the two women beginning their brutal assaults upon one another.

Wooden staff smashed against wooden staff, and Lilith could tell that this was not going to be a 'training' spar. This would be two women beating the shit out of one another for little more than to vent and cut loose.

"They're…..training, Sweetie. It's just…they're more experienced than Shigure, so have more skills to use during training. One day you might well match them."

The young girls eyes widened with barely concealed excitement, and her attention soon returned to the fight.

Azura, despite her dislike of actually taking part in the fighting, was actually a competent fighter, adapting her dancing skills into a fast-paced, acrobatic, relentless fighting style. Very soon, she had Morgan seemingly on the defensive.

"Is this truly your best?! Is this _all_ the Plegian Remnant can offer?!"

Azura grinned, and ducked down, launching a lightning fast kick to Morgan's abdomen. The Plegian skidded backward, her staff rolling from her grip. She stood herself up, and rolled her shoulders.

"You want me at my best, Your Majesty? Fine." A cruel grin formed on the Plegian's face as she was engulfed in purple flame. When she spoke, it was with an otherworldly echo. " _ **INGIS…"**_

Azura smirked, and her hand went for her necklace. "This is what I mean! Give me your a—"

"No!"

Both women snapped their attention to the woman striding down from the balcony.

"No No No! I will _not_ accept this." Lilith scowled. "You two need to stop now."

She stopped when she reached both women. First, she turned to Azura.

"You are the Queen, you need to remember that and start acting like one again." She scolded the now shocked (and somewhat taken aback.) bluenette. "The people think you've gone completely doolally!"

"And you!" She rounded on Morgan. "What in the Gods name _were you thinking?!_ She is the _Queen_ for _fuck sake!"_

There was a gasp from the balcony, but the women ignored it.

"She told me to-"

"Hush, I am talking now." Lilith snapped.

Morgan gaped at the normally timid woman. Azura had a similar look on her face.

"So get your balls out of your asses, and apologise to one another."

"Aaaaah! Mama did a swear!" Sophie gasped. Caleb gasped with his cousin.

Dropping right back into her motherly persona, Lilith hurriedly dashed back up to the children, and tried to calm them down. The youngest two members of the Royal Family were grinning, and soon leading her away, likely to the kitchen for a healthy bribe (otherwise known as chocolate cake.).

Morgan sighed, before breaking into a grin, one matched by the one forming on Azura's face. The silver haired woman wrapped an arm around her Queen's shoulders, and led her up the stairs.

"One of these days, we'll actually get to go all out. Really wanting to see what that necklace of yours can do."

"Careful what you wish for, Morgan."

* * *

Sat around a desk in the royal chambers of Nohr were three of the Nohrian royal family; Xander, who had grown a short, neatly kept beard in recent years, Camilla, who had stopped wearing revealing armour, and taken up Bölverk as her personal weapon, and Leo, who still retained his almost baby-faced looks, although now had to wear glasses (and secretly used magic to increase his height a few inches).

Elise was currently in the city, so was absent from the meeting.

Over the course of his reign, Xander had led a purge of the army, dismissing many would-be butchers and psychopaths, those that once had made up the mainstay of his father's army, and promoted soldiers to positions they deserved, regardless of how noble their blood ran. He also enacted reforms to make things better for the common folk. Ten years prior, he had married Lady Charlotte, the former guardswoman that had somehow won his heart. She had become Queen with Xander, and was actually well liked by many in court. She, over the course of their marriage, had given him a son and two daughters. The heir, Seigbert had been born a little over a year after Corrin's supposed death in Hoshido.

Leo had, over many years, managed to raise a great swath of fertile land around the capital. It had taken him nearly a decade to create and make stable, and nearly cost him his life (and this was what forced him to wear glasses). The smallfolk now called him _The Green Prince_ , though they meant it gratefully, and Leo had taken it to heart, adding green accents to his armour in place of the usual gold. He had sired a sole son, Forrest, with whom he had a somewhat….rocky relationship (due in no small part due to the fact that his wife, the Lady Aveline (the daughter of the Governor of Nohr's southernmost city, Dresden), had died giving birth to him).

Camilla had never married, though she still kept both Selena and Beruka as lovers. Such a relationship was actually acceptable in Nohr, unlike in other countries. However, it would cross over into the unacceptable range if she chose to marry them both. She kept some hair covering her eye, (she had been badly burned over the eye in question during the concubine wars. Perhaps the worst part was that it was her mother that had inflicted it.) and now had streaks of grey in her hair.

"There are rumours." Leo began. "About a city….a…a sanctuary, from the war. Despite us being in a state of cold war, reports of violence near the Nohr-Hoshido border are on the rise."

"And?" Camilla asked quietly.

"It isn't in Izumo. Ever since Izana closed the borders, access to the Archduke's lands have been…limited."

"Nestra?" Xander offered.

"Unlikely. They are embroiled in a civil war. The merchant Princes are fighting for the Throne after the death of the Royal line."

"If it isn't Izumo, and it isn't Nestra.."

"What I'm about to suggest is outlandish…but I believe this…'Sanctuary' is in a Deeprealm."

"How would that be possible? The Hoshidan idiots pulled the Deeprealm Gate down." Xander said with vague disbelief.

"Once you eliminate to plausible…." Leo started, and grinned.

"Right….right.."

"I've sent an agent to look into these rumours, he's yet to return."

"Who did you sent?" Xander asked.

"Our best." Leo said.

"I see."

"Any news from you, Brother?"

Xander sighed. "Head Priest Skald is pushing for a return to outright war. The usual religious reasons…."

"So kill him." Leo suggested. "It's a fairly simple matter."

"…He is getting popular. Food is flowing again, crime is down…as is the homeless population."

"Is that due to them being killed, or because they've found work?" Camilla asked in a quiet voice.

"Preferably the second." Leo said. "But frankly, if it's the first one, it doesn't matter. We're at war and a few less mouths to feed isn't a bad thing."

"That's cold." Camilla murmured.

"Doesn't make me wrong." Leo pointed out.

Camilla scowled, and left the room.

"W-Wait! Sister!" Xander called out, but Camilla ignored him.

"Go easy on her brother, you know what today is."

Xander's eyes widen for a moment, and he slumped back into his chair.

"Is there anything else?" Xander sighed.

Leo smirked.

"….Let me tell you about a little girl named Kana…."

* * *

Camilla was in her chambers sipping from a goblet of wine. She hadn't slept in a number of days, and the wine helped force herself awake. She always did this before days like tomorrow.

"It's that time, My Lady." Beruka's quiet voice brought Camilla out of her thoughts.

"Oh." There was little emotion left in her voice. The last few years had…. _tested_ her greatly. Corrin's betrayal, the war….

"You know the rules, my lo-…Lady. Much as I hate to say it."

"I know…."

Beruka smiled weakly, and walked over to her sworn lady. After a swift, and much needed hug, the smaller woman helped Camilla to her feet.

"To the asylum then." Camilla sighed.

"To Selena." Beruka confirmed sombrely.

* * *

The man sighed. He had _liked_ being Fred. Before, any identity he took was simply that. Something to be used and discarded as needed. But as Fred, he had no obligations, save for patrolling the city. The people were pleasant, and the Royals actually gave a damn about their people. As Fred, he had friends, somewhat decent colleagues, a good wage, free drinks during the night shift and all the bakery items he could eat. As Fred, he could start over, start a new life. It was _very_ tempting to stay, let his true identity to die. Become the mask, embrace it.

The man shook his head.

 _No._ He thought, with some sadness. _I am a Nohrian. Loyal to King Xander. Loyal…._

He left the Guardhouse, and slipped into the morning crowds.

Without some much as another word, Fred faded away, and Zola once more took his place.

He was going home.

* * *

 **Hate to ask for help again folks, but I am in need of a few 'Nestra' style names for a few chapters time. Either PM them me or just leave them in a review. Only guideline I'll give is that my Nestra is based loosely on the Republics of Venice/Genoa.**


	5. Chapter 5

Whilst Dresden wasn't the capital of Nohr, it was by far and away the most populous city in the kingdom. The Great Cathedral of the Dusk Dragon was located in the centre of the city, along with the Nohrian Military Foundries. As such, it was the richest City in the Kingdom. It was governed by the Blackhart family, the closest thing Nohr had to a 'Second Family'. Prince Leo's wife, Aveline, had been a member of the family, and the city was where their son, Forrest, lived with his grandparents.

Despite the fact that she was in the city specifically for Selena, the eldest Princess of Nohr was ever the one for family. She endeavoured to visit him.

Governor Gordon Blackhart was a fierce looking man in his sixties. He had been a great sorcerer in his youth, and it was during the first year of Garon's rule that he had been made both Court Sorcerer and(after his quiet dismissal) later Governor of Dresden (and married to the King's concubine he had had an affair with, only escaping death when Josephine revealed that she was pregnant. He had, inadvertently, paved the way for his replacement, Iago, to introduce Garon to the faith of Anankos.). Ever since, he had ruled the city with a stern, yet fair hand. During his marriage, he and his wife had raised three sons and four daughters, and whilst they did have the odd disagreement, his family was incredibly close, the loss of the youngest, Aveline, had hit them all hard.

Regardless, Gordon adored his grandson, and Leo's utter disregard and disdain for the boy had forced a wedge between them. The other royals, mainly Camilla and Elise, often visited him.

Leo never did.

* * *

Governor Blackhart and his Wife stood in the courtyard of the Governor's Palace, Prince Forrest was at the Governors side, dressed in a plain, yet smart doublet, and wore a simple beret, borrowed from Lady Josephine. He kept is pale brown hair draped over one shoulder, and was clearly trying to hide the sadness in his eyes.

Said sadness died the moment two Wyverns touched down before them. One was considerably larger, with a long, whip like tail and an ugly scar over one eye. The other was smaller, but far more vicious and was clearly swifter than its companion. The riders of the two beasts slipped off of the saddles, and started for the trio. The shortest of the pair had tied her hair back, despite the fact it was already short.

"Auntie Cam!" The young boy bolted from his grandfather's side, and slammed into the elder woman, wrapping his short arms around her in a joyful hug.

"Hello Sweetie!" Camilla cooed, and picked the boy up, hugging him tightly.

"You brought Beru!"

"Beruka." The shorter of the two women corrected kindly, and accepted the inevitability of his hug with Aunt-like good grace.

"Haven't you grown? Soon you'll be as tall as S—"

"Mariza!" The young boy happily exclaimed, interrupting Camilla, and promptly dashed over to the wyvern. The normally proud beast was like a family dog toward the young Prince, cheerfully being patted by the excited young boy. Beruka's mount, Armonia, crept over, and nudged Forrest, eagerly awaiting her turn.

The Nohrian Prince was happy to oblige her, scratching under the smaller wyverns chin, and giggling as she chirped happily.

* * *

Seeing the Prince happy, Camilla and Beruka excused themselves, and headed to their actual destination.

Dresden was also where the Nohrian Asylum was located.

It was a frankly dour looking building deep in the heart of the city. Several battalions of guards were stationed within the asylum grounds, mainly due to the number of patients in the asylum deemed… _dangerous._

Selena was one of the few patients deemed dangerous enough to have a personal guard.

Camilla had been…. _less_ than pleased when she learned this.

It had been the elderly doctor Mars, one of the few who _genuinely_ wanted to help people, rather than the emotionless drones Garon had employed. He tried is best to explain his reasoning as he led them through the many blocks of patients. Both women had to block out the various sounds and smells that drifted into the hallways.

"I mean no disrespect, Princess." Mars told her in a bid to calm her down, his tone both sad and kind. "But Lady Selena _bit_ a nurse's ear off."

" _What?"_

"Genie. Nice girl. Predictably no longer working here though."

"Why didn't you inform us?!"

"Why would we? She was an orphan." The doctor answered in a somewhat dismissive tone "Hardly worth the time of the Royals."

"I want to meet her."

"She's dead. Her wound was infected…It was very….strange."

They group passed the guards stationed at the door to Selena's room (although, personally, Beruka thought it looked more like a cell). Mars opened the hatch, and allowed the women to see the occupant.

When the two women finally saw the last of their trio, they were struck into silence.

The redhead had an unsettling sneer on her face. She sat cross-legged in a corner, her arms crossed across her chest by the strange garment she was wearing. The sleeves appeared to be extra-long, and tied off behind her. Her feet were bare and caked with her own blood, and blood still surrounded her mouth. Aside from a single mattress, Selena's room was empty.

"What is she wearing?"

"It's called a 'straitjacket', Princess."

"I am aware of what it is _called._ I am asking _why_ she is wearing one." The violet haired princess snapped.

"Because she's dangerous!" Mars yelled, breaking his calm veneer. "Some of the people who've tried to treat her have gone mad! You've passed some of them

"Then what is wrong with her?" Beruka asked, somehow keeping her voice level.

" _He doesn't know_!" A giddy voice drifted out from room _._ " _He's afraid…..can you hear them yet, Doctor? The voices calling you to the great dark void."_

"What does she mean?" Camilla hissed as she backed the doctor into a corner. "What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know what to tell you, Princess!" The man protested feebly. "We've gone through every magical text! Every medical journal! Even contacted people in Nestra! _No one_ knows what this….whatever this is…no one knows what it is!"

Camilla let out an anguished, feral roar, and grabbed the man by the throat, slamming him against the nearest wall.

"It's your job to know! If you can't help me, what help are you?!"

"P-Please…"

"ANSWER ME!"

The man started to gurgle in her grip. A gleeful, warm feeling filled Camilla's heart, and she tightened her hold on him.

A hand brushed her shoulder, and Camilla lowered the man down, but didn't let him go.

"Calm yourself, Lady Camilla." The shorter woman all but commanded. "He is helping her as best he can."

Before Camilla could respond, a guard rushed in, and panted heavily.

"M….M-Mars!"

"Hendrik, calm down. What's wrong?"

"In…In-Intruder!"

Mars shut the hatch, and stalked after the clearly panicked guard.

It only dawned on Beruka as they felt the building why the guard was so panicked.

Because if someone could get _in._

Someone could _get out._

* * *

Now alone, Selena got to her feet, and let out a howl of laughter. She laughed and laughed and laughed until her throat burned.

" _Slithering…..slithering in the dark…hiding in the forgotten places_." Selena giggled to herself, and licked her lips. " _The snake is alive_."

The mark on her back _blazed_ with a sickly purple light.

* * *

The scene that greeted them was utterly horrifying. An entire battalion lay dead, their corpses seemingly deprived of moisture, leaving behind mere husks in armour.

The man presiding over the chaos had unruly red hair, and eyes that were a familiar shade of red-brown. He wore an exquisite looking coat, and had a lightning bolt shaped blade that could only be a Levin sword strapped to his belt. In his gloved hands was a tome with a pale brown covering, stamped with a strange, foreign sigil, a monstrous snake with draconic wings spread out wide.

"Who are you?" Mars demanded, in a bid to show strength in front of a royal.

The man pulled his arms free, and adjusted his sleeves. His smile never left his face.

"Marc Di Augustina, titular King of Plegia, and proud Havenite." He bowed. "It's nice to finally meet you, Princess Camilla, Lady Beruka."

The man beamed, clearly enjoying the partially shocked looks on the faces on both the women, and the guards. Before his voice did a complete U-turn, turning harsh and demanding.

"Now, take me to my sister."

* * *

 **Now, I know Forrest isn't like his canon self here…BUT he will be eventually. Bear in mind that he is about eight here, and I'm having to rework the reason he prefers to wear dresses/feminine clothing since the canon reason is (something along the lines of) Leo said he looked cute in a dress during a visit to his Deeprealm.**

 **Anywho, up next, 'Selena and Marc's reunion, take two'.**

 **Take it easy, and have a nice day.**


	6. Chapter 6

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

Mars was a rational man. A principled man. He was a good husband and a fair father. He was also a patriot. So when the figure amidst the corpses demanded access to his asylum, in front of royalty no less, he was _less_ than thrilled.

"Who are you to make demands? You're alone, and we have a great many men."

"Alone?" Marc asking in a curious tone. "Whoever said I was alone? I have my loyal forces right here." He gestured to the corpses surrounding him.

The Nohrians looked around, and it was one of the many soldiers that broke the silence "I only see corpses…."

"Oh for the love of….. _ **IGNIS HECATE!**_ "

Spectral power flowed out of Marc's fingertips. The purple smoke speared the fallen Nohrians, entering them via their mouths and noses. The bodies shuddered and spasmed violently, and one by one, they got to their feet once more.

The Nohrians (the living ones, at least) reeled back in shock and disgust. One of the worst sins in the faith of the Dusk Dragon was desecration of the dead, and for the intruder to commit said sin on such a large scale with such…. _nonchalance_ was inconceivable.

"These soldiers." Marc grinned smugly.

Camila's mouth opened and closed a few times, without making a sound. "H-How?"

"Now. You have a choice. Let me see and help my sister, and I'll be on my merry way….or send your men to be slaughtered and added to my forces, then I'll go and help my sister and be on my merry way."

Mars rolled his eyes. "Enough of this….guards! Attack!"

The guards, after a few moments hesitation….dropped their weapons. The leader of the guards turned to face Mars.

"I will not send my men to die simply for your pride."

The sound of applauding filled the courtyard. Marc was smiling.

"Well said, sir. If Nohr ever stops feeling like ho-"

"No." He said, not unkindly. "Thank you, but no."

Marc gave a shrug. "Had to offer. Now….take me to my sister. _Please._ "

Beruka glanced at Camilla, and sighed.

"Follow me."

* * *

Beruka glared at Marc as they reached the door to Selena's room/cell.

"If I hear her screaming. I will think nothing of beheading you."

"That's fair."

Marc opened the door, and stepped inside. His previously cocky visage fell apart when he saw the state his sister was in.

Marc knelt down to be face to face with his sister. He gently moved a stray lock of hair out of the redheads face.

"Severa…. sister what's happened to you?"

" _She's not here right now."_ A cruel grin formed on her face, causing Marc to recoil. " _Terribly sorry about that."_

"F-F-Father?"

" _Hello Marc. Nice to see you again."_

"Why….. _How_ are you still alive?!"

" _Oh please, do you honestly think I'd allow my body to die if I didn't have an out?"_ The Being asked mockingly. " _Come now, you know me better."_

"And that 'out' is your own daughter?"

" _Of course. When I had awoken inside her mind, she'd already completed the first stage of her….transformation."_

"Explain." Marc demanded.

" _She took a new name."_ Their tone suggested it was the most obvious thing in the world. " _Denied her old one. She's even gone through stage two here, without my help!"_

A giddy laugh rippled around the room.

" _The dear girl truly fell in love. With two women, believe it or not."_

"That doesn't explain anything."

" _She's not my way out of death, Marc. She's my way_ IN _."_ The Being kept their tone slow, as though explaining things to a young child. _"She will release me from this wretched existence and ascend to her rightful place as the new Fell Dragon. The fact that no one will rip me away from the peaceful embrace of the nothingness is a thoroughly welcome bonus."_

"What makes you so sure she'll take you up on that offer?"

" _You assume she'll have a choice."_

Marc snarled, and grabbed The Being by the collar, and forced them against the wall.

" _Yess…"_ The monster wearing his sister's face hissed gleefully. " _There it is. The ever present_ _ **STENCH**_ _of my brand and Ignis. You_ like _it, don't you? The taste of Godhood it grants you. Doooo it…."_

"I won't allow you to do this." Marc whispered, barely keeping a lid on his rage.

" _Yes you will."_ The smug voice replied, sneering.

"Why would I allow an abomination like you hold sway of her?"

" _Because the alternative candidate is my dear, sweet,_ Granddaughter."

Marc sucked in a sharp breath.

" _Ahh….not so confident now, are we?"_

"I….She beat you before.."

" _No._ Chrom _beat me before, assisted by that daughter you were once so very enamoured with."_ The Being sneered, drinking in the hate filled glare their son shot their way.

" _Do you not_ trust _your sister with my power?"_

"..She's the only one I would trust.."

" _So where's the problem?"_ They asked, genuine curiosity creeping into their tone. " _If you trust Severa with my power. Let her have it…."_

Marc could find no answer.

" _Aaah, it isn't her you distrust. It's me. Understandable, I suppose."_

The ancient being got to their feet, and started pacing, the madness enhanced by the straitjacket.

" _Fine then. I will make you an offer."_

"…Really now?"

" _Please, you are my son. I am not wholly unreasonable."_ The Being said dismissively. _"The deal is genuine."_

"Go on…"

" _Bring me my firstborn."_ The being said, their tone grew ever more rage filled with every word that followed. " _Bring me the bitch who thought she had the_ _ **right**_ _to drag me back into this mortal world and away from the blessed paradise of the beyond! Bring me the one who turned me from a peaceful Manakete living in a tranquil valley to the_ _ **ABOMINATION I AM NOW! THE MONSTER WHO BUTCHERED ENTIRE COUNTRIES! ENTIRE CULTURES! BRING HER TO ME!"**_

The Being took a number of calming breaths, and sighed. " _If you bring me your Eldest_ Sibling"They said, steadily, "I _will let Severa go. For good this time. You have my vow."_

"What makes you so sure she's still alive?"

The Being chuckled. " _I know she's alive because she cannot die._ Ever. _I may have….cursed her. Complete Immortality. How very cruel._ "

"How is that cruel?" Marc queried.

" _Oh come now. Do you know the pain of losing a child? How about outliving them? And their children? And theirs? And so on. She's still alive. She'll be half mad by now, but the Divine Mother yet lives."_

Another dark laugh filled the room.

"How am I meant to find her? We're in a completely different world.."

" _That is your problem, Marc. I will let Severa regain control. This place has grown rather droll, frankly. She'll wake up, come morning. Do give my regards to Morgan…and Ophelia. Oh! And to point you in the right direction…here's the name.."_

The Being smirked one last time, and spoke the name. After they did so, Severa let out a pained moan, and promptly collapsed to the floor.

Marc sighed, and scooped his sister up. He gently placed her on the mattress, and without another word, made for the exit.

* * *

The Plegian King waved a hand as he left the asylum, and those bodies effected by Hecate simply shambled to a halt, and fell to the ground, at rest once more.

"Marc."

Marc turned, and smiled faintly at the violet haired princess.

"I'd have thought you'd be with my sister right now." He teased.

"Be silent." Camilla snapped.

Marc tilted his head.

"Who is she really?" Camilla queried. "She hardly ever speaks of her past.."

"For good reason, Princess Camilla."

"Give me something, at least."

"She is Severa Di Augustina, formerly Crown Princess of Plegia, though by our laws she'd only be a Grand Duchess after her defection, technically." Marc answered. "Eldest child of His Majesty, King Robin Di Augustina and Queen Cordelia Brackenwood. Heir of the Fell Dragon Grima, descended from the thirteenth Divine, that's Augustina."

Marc grinned. "If we are being all formal and correct. If not, then Sevy or Severa will do."

"But…why did she come here? Fake her name? And why stay?"

"I do not know why she came here, nor do I know why she'd forsake her real name." Marc said as he tugged his hood up. "That is something you will need to ask her. As for why she'd stay, home isn't exactly a fun place to be…and you and Lady Beruka are here, why wouldn't she stay?"

The man started to walk away, and, not losing his pace, spoke once again.

"Corrin will be in Nestra soon. I cannot promise he'll desire to see you, but if you wish to try, do so…."

Camilla folded her arms, and glared at the younger man. "Why tell me this?"

A sad smile formed on Marc's face. "I want to see what you'll do. Do you take Sev-…Selena home? Or go and find Corrin?."

The princess offered no answer.

"Do you love her?"

Marc's words halted Camilla. The woman chuckled weakly, and nodded firmly.

"Do you?"

"She's my sister, I think it's required." Marc grinned.

"What was wrong with her?"

"She was possessed." Was Marc's reply.

"By?"

Marc sighed. "Ask her…I doubt you'd believe me if it came out of my mouth."

Camilla raised an eyebrow.

"I could kill you here and now." She said pointedly.

"And Selena would wake up, find her beloved younger brother dead, and blood on your axe. She isn't stupid, she'd figure it out."

Camilla smiled faintly. "Too true."

Marc started to walk away.

"And Camilla?"

"Hm?"

"Consider this as close to a blessing as you can get. Take care of my sister. For your sake, not hers."

"Then look after my brother."

"Deal."

Marc grinned, and bolted off into the winding streets.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Haven, Morgan was at her desk, eagerly awaiting the fast approaching time she could go to her small home, and collect her daughter from the library.

Her wishes were dashed by a common soldier, who frankly looked like a mere recruit, who entered her office.

"Forgive me honoured blade. Orders from His Majesty."

Morgan sighed. "Do not worry. What are they?"

"You are to depart for Nestra immediately, Ma'am. That's what it says." The soldier said, trying to hide his shaking.

"Very well...have my Pegasus saddled, I want to be gone in ten."

"Yes ma'am!"


	7. Chapter 7

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

The figure darted across the rooftops of the Nohrian Capital. The tiles merely clinking softly under their footfalls.

A white fox mask covered their face, and dark padded armour protected the intruder, whilst still allowing them freedom of movement. A tanto blade hung of their belt, next to a nondescript tome. An empty sheath was strapped to their back, and a hood covered their head.

The Dread Fighter darted down the levels of the city, their movements hidden by the moonless night and thin fog from citizens' fires.

Guards were on regular patrols at night, and even had a dedicated Night Guard in the Capital, to protect the streets at night, unlike the token force Hoshido had to do the same duty. These were, more often than not, army recruits, so as to engrain discipline and loyalty into them, and get them used to working with one another. (Nearly a century past, a murderer had committed a spree of violent murders in the lower levels, prompting the then King, Florian IV, to increase the night guard of the capital (even if they never managed to capture the murderer)).

The Intruder, for that's what they truly were, got so close to the guards that they could hear their conversations.

Some were gossiping about food, another group were discussing what they were going to do on their upcoming time off. One man was even proudly talking about his new-born child. It, surprisingly, cheered the Intruder up a little. It reminded them that, whilst the Nohrian's were the enemy, they had friends, family….they were human.

But at the same time, it made it all the more difficult. If they weren't the nameless, faceless soldiers of the enemy, then-

They shook their head to clear their thoughts. Now wasn't the time for thinking of that.

The time for guilt was later.

* * *

The Intruder got to the Grand Bridge, the gateway to Castle Krakenburg, before they were finally noticed.

"Hey! Stop right th-"The bridge guard's protest was cut silent by a single, life ending cut. The intruder let the guard occupy another moment of their thoughts as they dashed across the bridge, and started to climb up the side of the Castle.

 _Now_ They thought. _It begins._

They kept climbing, up to a balcony, and swung themselves up. Keeping low, they slipped into the winding corridors that made of Nohr's Royal Palace. Thankfully, the balcony opened up into the royal dining hall of all things.

They snuck around, avoiding the patrols of guards (save one unlucky one, she would probably be found the following morning.) until they reached their destination.

The Intruder slipped into the King's sparsely decorated chamber, and looked around for their target.

They found it mounted on the wall.

 _Siegfried._

"Who are you?"

The voice came from the bed. Whilst it was big enough to accommodate at least two people, but at present, only one person was in it.

King Xander's tone was a harsh mix of weariness and anger.

He received no answer as the Intruder pulled Siegfried from the wall, and let it fall onto the floor. Xander was already getting out of bed and making his way over to properly deal with the person in his room.

"Well?"

The figure bolted down the hall, knocking over whatever they could to slow Xander's rampage, which grew ever more violent when it dawned on him where the intruder was headed for.

His Son's room.

When Xander reached his Son's room, the sight that greeted him was, as a parent, terrifying.

The figure held Siegbert loosely, and he didn't doubt his son could escape, were it not for the short blade at his throat.

"…I apologise, Prince Siegbert." The figure said earnestly. "I had hoped I'd not need to involve you in this."

"Let my son go." Xander demanded in as steady a voice as he could manage.

"My King wants that sword." Came the reply.

"You….you work for Hoshido? Explain yourself!" Xander demanded, his tightening around the grip of his blade.

The Dread Fighter nodded softly. Their voice was muffed by the mask. They kept their tanto close to Siegbert's throat. To his credit, the young Prince didn't cry, although it was clear to Xander that tears were forming in his Son's eyes.

"I am indeed Hoshidan. I serve his Majesty without question." They said simply. "I have strict orders to inflict as little damage here as possible. Hand over the Siegfried and I will leave this place. I have little desire to harm your son, but will do so if I must."

"Why does Ryoma want Siegfried?!"

"I do not question." Came the simple answer. "I simply obey."

"Then join us! You clearly have some skill." Xander proclaimed. It was partly the truth, and partly a stalling tactic.

"I am afraid my loyalty is not for sale." They said. "Now forgive me. I am aware you've called guards, so I wish to conclude my business. Do we have a deal?"

Xander sighed. "I don't trust you. Give me my son, and I'll give you the sword."

The intruder cocked their head, mulling the offer over in their head. "Together then. At the same time."

Both Xander and the Intruder take a few steps forward.

They shoved Siegbert into Xander, and ripped Nohr's legendary sword from the Kings grip. They calmly placed the blade in the sheath on their back, and darted off as Father and Son embraced one another.

* * *

The figure bolted through Palace, jumping down whole sets of stairs when needed, and leaving any guard that come upon them incapacitated rather than dead. The reached the entry hall and was soon confronted by the guards at the bridge. Moving faster than many of them could follow, They used their tanto to inflict crippling, yet non-fatal blows to each of them, and tore off into the city as fast as her legs would take them.

The Intruder eventually sought refuge in the Church of the Dusk Dragon. They sat down in one of the rows of pews. A priestess was knelt before the altar, and paid no heed to the newcomer.

Lilith removed her mask, and swung her sheath around her body to look at her prize. A wave of nausea washed over her. She'd just threatened a child. A child! Younger than Shigure! Barely older than her Sophie!

"This had better have been worth it Corrin..." She murmured sadly as she shrugged the sheath back into its proper position, and started to stand up to go.

Sharp pain tore itself through her as cold metal was driven into her side. Its wielder twisted the knife, and wrenched it free, before swiftly stabbing deep into Lilith's thigh. She threw herself down the pew, but her attacker was fast. All the blunette could do to deflect the third thrust, aimed at her neck, was to bring Siegfried up in defence. Doing so finally gave her a view of her attacker.

Standing over her, her violet eyes dead, once long hair cut down to a mere light fuzz, and dressed in Priestess robes, bloodied knife in hand..

Was Princess Elise.

"Hello Traitor." She uttered emotionlessly.


	8. Chapter 8

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

"….E-Elise?" Lilith stammered out, forcing a hand against her side wound. Thankfully for her, it didn't seem like anything had coated the blade. But nonetheless, it _hurt._ If she was looking for sympathy from the Princess, she found none. The Princess merely narrowed her eyes, and brought the butt of her knife handle crashing down onto Lilith's forehead.

The dragon woman crashed against the ground with a loud thud.

With merely an annoyed snort, Elise strode back to the altar, intent on continuing her prayers. She got halfway down the aisle before she turned, and headed back to Lilith's fallen form.

"Sister Elise!" One of the younger acolytes dashed in to find Elise knelt over the unconscious figure of an intruder. She stood up, and strode proudly over to the young man.

"Take her to the stables and patch her wounds. Keep her under guard. If she tries to escape, break her legs."

"Y-Yes Sister." He said as more acolytes showed up, and assisted in carrying the limp form of Lilith away. The Priestess, now happy that Lilith was under guard, knelt before the altar once more. It was a series of 'Tap Tap Tap's behind her that informed her of someone coming up the aisle.

The man was tall and broad shouldered, wearing loose dark robes, with a single gauntlet on one hand. In the other was a dark, wooden walking cane that supported him as he walked. Head Priest Skald, despite being an old man, was still a formidable looking man. During his tenure as Head Priest of the Dusk Dragon, the power of the Faith had skyrocketed. Even Princess Elise had fallen under his influence, although he had made no attempts to do so.

"Holy one." Elise knelt before Skald. "The intruder is a woman named Lilith. One of Corrin's servants. She is alive."

"You left her alive?" Skald asked in an almost curious tone.

"I can slay her, should you desire." She offered.

"It matters little." Skald murmured dismissively. "You have proven that their kind can be harmed, and if they can be harmed, they can be killed. We will interrogate her, dissect her, find where her master hides."

He placed a hand on her shoulder, and smiled faintly. "Worry not, Sister Elise. This is no failure. Corrin will likely come looking for the girl, and it is then we will capture and kill him."

Years ago, this would have horrified the Princess of Nohr, the very thought of hurting Corrin at all would have made her sick. Now however, not even a flicker of acknowledgement appeared on her face.

"Very well. Should I return Siegfried to His Majesty?"

Skald shook his head. "No. T'would be a good thing to have a…shall we say, 'chip', to hold above the King. And if we must go through with our worst case scenario, you will need it to claim the Throne."

"As you say, Holy One."

"Very well. Run along child."

As Elise bowed and walked away, another figure took their place at Skald's side.

"Shall I lead the interrogation, Holy One?" They asked, their voice raspy.

"Yes." Skald answered bluntly. "Be sure to get every last drop of information, Sister Arya."

"Of course, Holy One." Arya Morrison nodded, and strode off, her armour clinking in the silent church, her hand never left Ganglari's hilt.

* * *

The Kingdom of Nestra was, technically speaking, a collection of unified City States run by powerful merchant families. There had been, until five years ago, a Royal Family, the Anafesto Family. But after plague had struck the Nestrian Capital of Eraclea, the Royal Line that had survived for close to two thousand years, the first King claiming descent dating back to the original settlers of the continent (barring the Flame Tribe, the actual natives of the continent of Sigal), had died out, plunging the Kingdom into Civil War as the various Merchant Princes vied for the throne. The two most powerful of these were Prince Ezio Morosini, ruler of the Southern City of Polani, and Prince Gallo Barozzi of Cyrkensia.

Oddly, Camilla had been the one most affected by the death of the royal family. The now former Queen had once saved her life, and was in no small part responsible for the execution of her mother. It had been on a diplomatic visit that her Mother, in an attempt to frame another concubine, launched an assassination attempt on the old Queen. The (even then) old woman handily _obliterated_ her attempt, and in front of the entire court, verbally destroyed the proud, cunning sorceress. The other concubines pushed for Camilla's death, but the Nestrian Queen shot the idea down, even taking the young girl away for two years to allow the atmosphere to die down a bit.

Camilla even named her beloved wyvern after her.

Decades of War and Court Intrigue hadn't managed to bring down Her Majesty, Queen Marzia XVIII, 'The Magnificent'. She reigned for nearly seventy years, and in the end, illness claimed the much beloved Queen. Her children all predeceased her, and the plague claimed her remaining siblings and her grandchildren. She held on for months, battling the plague with all her usual fierceness, until even she couldn't fight anymore. She died at the age of Eighty-Nine.

It was in the backstreets of Cyrkensia, in a tavern filled with mercenaries that Corrin was meeting with a few of his 'Blades'. They had rented a room, one of the few available in the district, and soon, all eyes were on their King. He looked over his Blades, all of whom were friends.

Morgan, the Plegian Dark Flier. Utterly ruthless to her enemies, and utterly loyal to her allies. She had never had another relationship over the years, in part due to a fear of being betrayed again.

Silas Teague, the current Highlord of Haven, the overall military leader of the Havenites. Corrin's children adored their Uncle, who, frankly, spoiled them silly. Corrin, in turn, spoiled Sophie.

Kaden, the Kitsune leader. Primarily the one who found paths to and from the target, and the one who found the way out. He was a doting father to his young daughter, Selkie.

Keaton, the Wolfskin leader. A little dim when compared to the rest of the Blades, but held himself to a personal code, and was easily….'controlled', never killing simply for the sake of killing. His habit of collecting 'trophies', from bat fangs to battered hats. He had a daughter, Velouria, and treated her more like a little sister than anything else.

Wrapping up the group was a newcomer. Molin, a Taguel. The Taguel were the most recent addition to Haven, rescued from extinction by Marc and Morgan. Molin served as Corrin's squire, and was already surprisingly loyal to his new King.

Corrin grinned.

"So. Shall we begin?"

* * *

Elsewhere in the city, a small group of foreigners were making their way to the Barozzi Manse. All three were on horses, and the crowds milling about made room for them, and shot them annoyed glares.

Two of them ignored them, but the third shifted in his saddle uncomfortably.

"Are you sure this is needed, Lord Leo?"

"Odin, Nohr needs food, despite my work." Leo replied, adjusting his glasses. "Prince Gallo is offering us supplies in return for help gaining the throne."

Odin opened his mouth to speak, but Leo cut him off.

"I do not know why you are so concerned, Gallo is a good choice."

Niles narrowed his gaze a little.

"You'll miss Prince Forrest's birthday again.." Odin offered.

Leo scoffed. "It matters little."

As his two companions argued, something caught Niles' eye. A small figure in an alley, shivering. The rest of the world passing them by, simply oblivious to them. In fact, if the current conversation wasn't boring him to tears, he doubtless wouldn't have noticed.

He didn't know what it was that caused him to guide his horse down the alley. Whether it was concern, curiosity, or simply a way to alleviate boredom.

He soon wished he hadn't bothered.

The girl was all skin and bones, clutching her red cloak to her as though it were the most precious thing in the world. Her hair was long and ratty, and her eyes looked up at him pleadingly.

"…Who are you?" She asked in a quiet, terrified voice.

"...Niles. You?"

"..N-...N-Nina."

* * *

 **Thanks to Consort for help with the names.**


	9. Chapter 9

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

"This ale tastes worse than horse piss." Morgan grimaced as she placed her mug down onto the table. The rest of the table also had mugs of varying liquids, except Keaton, who was quietly snoozing, resting his head on the table.

"Do I even want to know _how_ you know what horse piss tastes like?" Silas smirked as he took a gulp from his own mug, only for the same look to grace his face. Morgan grinned, chuckling.

"No, you _really_ don't."

"If we might get on track." The youthful tones of Molin clipped the thick air of the tavern. He was barely fifteen, with brown fur-like hair around his wrists, with neatly kept hair the same shade of brown covering his head. Like all taguel, he sported a pair of rabbit like ears. "His Majesty was about to speak."

"Lord Corrin will suffice, Molin." Corrin smiled. "Especially here. Do not mention me as 'King' or 'Your Majesty."

The young Taguel lowered his gaze. "If you wish it, my Lord."

Corrin's expression softened a little. "I know it's hard, asking you to put aside something you've being taught to do the past six years. But this isn't Haven." The elder warrior said kindly, "This isn't the secret city we call home. Here, we are surrounded by the enemy. Here, you are a Royal Blade, as well as my squire. You need to stop thinking like a Havenite Citizen, and starting thinking like a Blade."

"I…yes Lord Corrin."

"Good man! Now! We're here to persuade that moronic Barozzi to do something for us. If we succeed, it will force Nohr into fight two different wars at once, and give Lilith more time to acquire the item. In addition, rumour has it that Leo is in the city to see Barozzi too, with both of his retainers, providing us with an excellent opportunity."

That caught Morgan's attention, and an unsettling grin crossed her face. "I call dibs."

"Hm?" Corrin raised an eyebrow. "No, Kaden and Keaton will go. They are—"

"With respect, Lord Corrin." Morgan snarled, "Owain…..Odin is _mine._ He's been mine ever since he first stepped onto the sands of Plegia. Since the day we first met."

"Possessive? Fine." Corrin conceded. "But remember that you are a Havenite now. Your objective is Brynhildr, if you can get your revenge on Odin, do so. But do not endanger the mission."

Morgan sighed dramatically. "It's like you don't trust me, my friend." She shot the youngest member of their group a teasing smirk. Molin bristled a little at the Dark Fliers lack of formal title when she addressed the King, but swallowed any words that might have followed.

"I trust you, just not when it comes to Odin." Corrin replied cheerfully. "Now then. Since the drink here is foul, let's get this done fast and head home."

Kaden giggled. "Aaaah come on. Doesn't mean we can't have _some_ fun here. It's Cyrkensia!"

Morgan sighed, and stood up. "Nah, I better get going. This city is big, finding O- Leo will be hard."

"Anna will wait for two days and two days only." Corrin reminded her. "After that, you'll need to find your own way back to Haven. We need to be back for the Founding Festival."

Morgan offered a casual salute. "Don't worry. When have I ever let you down...Don't answer that."

Her companions (barring Molin) shared a laugh, and the Plegian Woman strode off.

"Forgive me My Lord, who is Odin?" Molin queried. "And why does Lady Morgan seem to hate him?"

"Ophelia's father." Came Corrin's almost sad reply.

* * *

A number of thoughts were running through Niles' head as he regarded at Nina with the faintest of sneers. He was still sat in his horses' saddle, though his mount was clearly uneasy being down the alley. Niles knew he didn't have much time.

She was so thin. It was likely she hadn't eaten for a number of days.

 _He remembers the hunger._

Starvation was always one of the harshest things he endured. It was would had caused his overeating at royal feasts, the thought that the meal might be the last for a while still forced its way into his head even now.

The girl was still staring at him with widen eyes.

 _What is that…_

Something caught his eye now, and a sickening feeling of déjà vu filled his gut.

 _He also remembers having his eye removed._

 _He had omitted part of the story of how he lost his eye when he had told it to Leo. Whilst a member of his gang_ had _been the one that had done the deed, they had done so only to save his life._

 _The winter had been harsh, food and medicine scarce._

 _It started by a bit in some foul water. A younger Niles had gone under completely, and had to be pulled out by one the other thieves in his group._

 _It took about a week of continuously growing pain before he could hardly move without causing himself pain._

 _His fellow thieves tied him down and plied him with wine to dull his pain. Then, with a thin blade, one of them removed the problem._

 _It had saved his life, true. Which had made their betrayal all the more painful._

He had never found out which particular infection he had been struck with. Frankly, he had no desire to do so.

But he recognised it when he saw it.

"…Your eye.." Niles said, in quiet disbelief.

Nina whimpered. "I-It hurts…."

Niles sighed, and made his decision. He slid off of his horse, and walked over to the girl, and scooped her up into her his arms. She was more underweight that Niles realised, and so he could carry her with one arm alone. He hauled himself back into his saddle, and took off after Leo.

"Make it stop.." Her voice quivered.

"Yeah yeah…just hold on kiddo." Niles murmured, and tightened his grip on her a little. One thought was making its way to the forefront of his mind.

 _How the hell will I explain this to Leo?_

* * *

Shigure limped into the library in the palace. He had trained without Lady Morgan today. Instead, it had been his Mother who had trained him. She was a formidable opponent, showing little mercy or restraint.

So he now he was going to visit his best friend. Despite being a Prince, he had very few friends. So Ophelia was a true gift.

He entered the library, and made a beeline for his friend, only for Lady Nyx's voice to drift into his ears. Shigure walked closer, and saw Ophelia and his brother, the young Caleb, sat at a table in front of the short Lady Mage.

"—ay attention, Ophelia. I'm teaching you how to use tomes, just like you asked." The elder woman hadn't managed to remove her curse as of yet, but she had mellowed a little. She had started a (admittedly tentative) relationship with Marc, although they hadn't moved beyond hand holding and sneaking kisses in quiet alcoves.

"Okay Auntie Nyx!" The happy tones of Ophelia Di Owain replied to her tutor.

The woman suppressed a blush at the use of the title. "Y-You know we aren't related.."

"Not yet!" the young girl chirped. "But you and Uncle Marc will get married soon!"

"But we….I-I…."

"Am I interrupting, my lady?" Shigure asked, offering rescue to Nyx.

"No no." Nyx said politely. "Greetings, my Prince."

Nyx nodded politely. "Very well. Ophelia, you've dismissed for today. Prince Caleb, you may take that book back with you, if you wish."

"Oh….o-okay!" The young boy stammered, and hugging the book close, he walked out of the library.

"You two." Nyx snapped. "Try not to break anything here."

"Understood." Shigure replied.

Nyx nodded, and took her leave.

"So." Ophelia smiled. "What do you want to do?"

* * *

 **A couple you have sent me PM's asking about Plegian surnames (not entirely sure why you find them so interesting, but hey). So here's an explanation, at least for the nobility.**

 **The surname is a way of showing which Divine (the fourteen blood Grandchildren of Grima.) said person is descended from. Bastards do not inherit the Divine name, instead taking the name of their father. Hence why Ophelia is 'Di Owain' rather than Di Augustina. Most of the Plegian Nobility are descended from bastards, since, at least in the present, only the Di Augustina family remain.**

 **And now…..have a stinger.**

"This is a nice place you have here." The green haired woman said, sipping tea from a china cup. "But…you've changed. Are you sure you've not gone mad?"

"Cousin, I went mad over a thousand years ago." Her companion grinned. "It gets boring. I'm sane now."

There was a quiet 'plink' as the Green haired woman put her cup down. "What are you planning?"

"Cousin, you wound me!" She smiled. "I'm not planning anything. At least not this time."

"…Good. The last time..-"

There was a smash as the owner of the house slammed her cup on the table. "DO NOT REMIND ME OF THAT!"

"….Apologies. I should be off." She headed for the door.

"Stay alive Tiki."

"You too." Came the reply.


	10. Chapter 10

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

The council chamber of Haven was a well-lit room on the third floor above the Throne Room. The table was carved from one single piece of redwood. The chairs were wooden, with dark red cushions, and weren't overly comfortable. Ordinarily, the council was attended by the King and Queen, the Highlord (Or Minister of War and Defense), the Minister of Food and Agriculture, the Lord (or Lady) Chamberlain (The lead servant in the palace), Lord (Or Lady) of the Mint, the leader of the Exploratory Brigade (The intelligence and information arm of the military), the Commander of the City Guard, and all of the Royal Blades that were in the city. The Leaders of the various different peoples of the Kingdom also attended.

But for what was, in essence, an informal meeting, barely half of the members of the Council were in attendance. Queen Azura was there, along with Minister Mozu, Lord Chamberlain Jakob Andoca and his wife Ice Chieftess Flora (although the marriage was loveless, and purely political, at least on Jakob's part.) and Lady Anna, whom, after aiding in the founding and building of the Kingdom, had become a lauded hero (and head of the Royal Mint).

Anna kept a broad grin on her face. She had kept herself healthy, keeping her archery skills sharp, and wore almost the same clothes as she had when she left her former home in Ylisse. The secret seller was now in her mid-forties, and was in charge of the Royal Mint, and thus in charge of all the money in the Kingdom. "So, missing Corrin yet?" She teased.

The Queen forced back an embarrassed blush. "…I started missing him the moment he left."

Jakob, who had remained standing with his arms folded behind his back, smiled faintly. In his years as Lord Chamberlain he had learned that, what he had assumed was a serious obsession of Lord Corrin was, in fact, truly love. He supposed it was a good thing. His master deserved some happiness, especially before….

He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to think of that.

His thoughts fell on his own son, Dwyer. The boy was, sadly, lazy. Jakob had tried to train him, since he was technically the heir of the people of the Ice Tribe, and thus their council seat. Flora had helped as best she could, but she had an entire people to look after, and he didn't blame her for her distance. He really did _wish_ he loved her, but he couldn't see her as anything less than a good, probably his best, friend.

Mozu had long since begun to wear courtly robes, often in earthy tones of brown and green. Whilst she was widely respected for her reforms and honest, somewhat blunt knowledge of farming, she had lost trust when she married Suzukaze (out of love, no less), due to his connection to the kidnapping of the Havenite's Princess.

"It's sweet." She said kindly. "I wonder what gift he'll bring back this time."

It was Flora who spoke up now. She wore the fur lined garb of Ice Chieftains, and had, over the years learned to control her powers to a greater degree, and was almost as skilled as her sister now. Felicia herself had left the personal service of the King, and had become the Commander of the City Guard. Commander Felicia was well liked and feared in equal measure. "Something unexpected, no doubt."

Azura grinned. She knew what Corrin was searching for, aside from their little girl. As many of the legendary weapons of Nohr and Hoshido as he could get his hands on.

She grinned broadly, and turned her attention back to the room and its occupants.

"I wonder indeed.."

"No you don't." Anna grinned. "You know what he's looking for….or _whom,_ he is looking for."

The air in the room all but froze. Its occupants shakily averted their gazes from their Queen..

Who, to their great surprise, let out a musical laugh. "Oh, you aren't wrong. Corrin is looking for Cana….but he's also looking for a number of legendary weapons. He has an…..experiment in mind. He wants to see if the power of the four legendary weapons, Rajinto, Siegfried, Brynhildr and the Fujin Yumi, can be replicated into a single weapon. Lilith has been sent to find Siegfried, whilst Corrin himself is collecting Rajinto. The other two will be collected later. He will hopefully return for the Founding Festival."

"You sent Lilith _alone?_ " Flora glared. The two women had grown close during their time in the Northern Fortress, and remained as such all through the years. So she was, unsurprisingly, protective of her. " _Why?!"_

"Because Princess Lilith volunteered." Jakob said calmly. "As such, it's not our place to question."

"But-"

"Easy now." Azura soothed her. "Lilith is Corrin's sister, she'll be fine."

She smiled.

"Trust me."

* * *

Niles arrived at the Barozzi Manse, a sprawling mishmash of buildings, some old, some built during his time as Merchant Prince of Cyrkensia. Nina was trying to get herself further into his coat, in a bid to remain unseen.

Leo and Odin were awaiting him in the courtyard, along with the fat, well-dressed man who could only be Gallo Barozzi. He was balding, with a well maintained moustache. His fingers were heavy with rings, and a purely ornamental sabre hung from his belt.

"Niles." Leo sighed in exasperation. "Tell me _why_ it is you have a young girl in your arms. If you say what I think you're going to, I will have to kill you."

"She has a serious eye infection and is highly malnourished." Niles responded bluntly. " _I do_ have standards, Prince Leo."

Leo narrowed his gaze. "Why are you bothering? She's only going to end up on the streets again after she's fixed up."

"Just because you _hate_ your child doesn't mean you need to hate every bloody child in the world." Niles snapped back. "Now, Master Gallo. Please direct me to the Manse Healer."

The wealthy man was about to reply, until he saw the pitiful look on Nina's face. He sighed, expression softening.

"In the chapel. Roberto will do what he can."

Without even a word of thanks, Niles dismounted, and hurried inside.

"…..Why is he concerned all of a sudden?" Leo mused. "…Odin, go and find out the current rumours in the city, would you? Prince Gallo and I have matters to discuss"

"Of course!" Odin beamed, and cheerfully made his way out of the gates.

"….Shall we?" The elder man offered.

"Yes, immediately."

* * *

Odin looked around the streets of Cyrkensia, allowing his curiosity to wander. It was a truly beautiful city, and so full of life!

He was so enthralled, he walked straight into another person, knocking them to the ground. The Mage hastily, profusely apologised, and went to help the woman up, only for him to catch a look at her face.

His stomach dropped.

 _Snowy._

" _You_!" Morgan hissed.

"M-Morgy?! It's it really you?"

"It's _Morgan."_ She seethed.

"Morgan, i-it's me!" Odin pleaded. "Owain! C-Calm down for a moment so I can ex-"

"No!" The Plegian snarled, swinging her lance in a wide arc. "No, you don't get to weasel your way of this. Ophelia had to take a bastard name. She's disgraced! Now I get to kill you and punish you for your idiocy."

The Dark Flier levelled her lance with Odin's face, and smiled sadistically.

"Prepare yourself... _Love_!"


	11. Chapter 11

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

Acknowledging that there was danger, the various citizens of Cyrkensia fled in fear, clearing the streets.

Then Morgan, faster than Odin's eyes could follow, darted behind him, and slashed her wicked looking lance at him. The Mage barely managed to avoid it, and he had to roll out of the way for her following thrust.

"Stop moving!" The silver haired Princess screeched as a maddened, gleeful smile formed on her face. "Come on! The longer you run the more painful I'll make it!"

"M-Morgy! C-Calm down!"

"Calm down?" Morgan giggled. "I'm trying to kill you and you want me to calm down?! You must be fucking insane, _Love_."

She charged again, her attacks less like refined warrior she was, and more like a rabid, impulsive beast.

Left without any other (at least, any viable) option, Odin went on the offensive.

" **E-Elfire!** _"_ Odin shouted, and an orb of fire billowed from his palm, and slammed itself into Morgan's chest.

Morgan's eyes widened, and skidded backward a number of feet.

Shaking, Odin lowered his arm. He opened his mouth to apologise, only to be interrupted by Morgan's harsh laughter.

"I see you've finally embraced your traitor father's path, _Love."_ Morgan sneered. "Lord Henry was a powerful mage, a Paragon of my father's new Plegia…yet he proved his traitorous nature when he turned his back on his nation to be with _Lissa."_

"My father wasn't going to betray his _family_ Morgan!"

"So why did you ask me to betray mine?!" The Dark Flier snarled, pointing her lance at him.

Odin's expression faltered. When he next spoke, it was evident he was doing everything he could to keep his voice from shaking.

"Because I wanted to protect you…."

"You broke up with me! Broke off our engagement!"

"I had to! Our nations were at war…."

"Shut your mouth!" Morgan snarled, all but foaming at the mouth. "You left me. Then, during the war, when we shared that night in the cave, you left me _pregnant._ "

Odin winced. "….Sel….Severa told me. I hoped it wasn't true…her name is Ophelia then."

"It is, yes. And I know where you got your new name from, _Love._ Had we had a son, Odin was what we were going to name him, no?"

Odin's eyes widened slightly, and he nodded in confirmation. "Yeah…that's how I chose the name."

"I would have followed you into the Hells if you had asked!" Morgan thundered, tears steadily making their way down her cheeks. "

"Morgan, during the war…there were other rumours. About my father…"

"Yes, _Love."_ Morgan confirmed in a cruelly teasing tone. "I was the one who killed him. Knocked him right off a bridge, and watched him and his horse tumble and crash onto the rocks below."

Something in Odin snapped. He let out a pained roar, and unleashed another burst of Elfire. He could no longer afford to hold back, no longer afford _not_ to fight.

"Fiiiinally!" Morgan giggled happily. "Do you know how _boring_ it is when an opponent doesn't fight back?!"

Odin said nothing, he simply kept firing off Elfire's. All but one failed to reach their target. The one that big slammed into Morgan's back. The sickening stench of burning flesh filled the air, and Morgan, instead of screaming, let of a howl of laughter.

"Come on!" Her voice was giddy now. "Hurt me some more! I know you can do better than that, _Love!_ "

More elfire's followed, but Morgan was far too quick, effortlessly dancing around the blasts. She ducked in an up, slashing at Odin with barely glancing blows. Thin cuts dug themselves into Odin's skin and armour. To his credit, the Mage made no attempt to run. He was a Prince of Ylisse, and they didn't flee.

" **Elfire!...E-Elfire!** " The fire that spurted from his palms were barely splutters now. "… **E-Elfire** …"

"Aww…..too tired, Sweetie?"

The silver haired warrior grinned, and slammed the butt of her lance, into Odin's gut. The Mage tumbled into a nearby crate.

"Oopise!" Morgan cackled. "Did big scary mage fall down?"

Odin panted heavily, his energy spent. He struggled to his feet, and simply glared at his former lover.

"Disappointing." Morgan sighed.

" _Morgan."_ The harsh voice snapped Morgan out of her gleefully murderous expression. She looked up, only to see Corrin and the rest of the Blades striding down the street.

"What are you doing?" Her King asked plainly.

"Your Majesty, I-"

"What." Corrin interrupted, his voice a deadly calm "Are you doing?"

"I'm dealing with this."

"You are endangering the mission. It is time to go."

Morgan sighed dejectedly, like a child being told they couldn't have something. "Fiiiine."

She twirled her lance, and drove it backwards, clean through Odin's chest. His eyes widened as he looked at the dark pillar of metal now jutting out of him just shy of his heart. He slid off of the lance, and slumped against a building.

"Wh…why?" Odin managed as he coughed out blood. His vision was slowly beginning to faint, and a numb sensation flooded his body. Morgan had always coated her weapons with some manner of poisons, he was fortunate that it was a numbing poison that coated her weapon today.

"Why would we leave a threat alive?" Corrin questioned, frowning. "We aren't like the villains you no doubt imagine or expect. We're not comedically incompetent thugs brought down by a brave, clever hero. You are a threat. As such, you will be dealt with accordingly."

The dark haired king turned his attention to his wayward soldier. "I trust that was sufficient payback?"

"….Yes.." Morgan's voice was oddly dead, as though her actions were finally dawning on her.

"Very good. You still need to capture Byrnhildr." He grinned, and gestured for her to follow.

Morgan didn't even spare her former lover another glance.

And Odin, born Owain, Prince of Ylisse, who had fought against monsters, undead and other, foul horrors, simply bled out in the street.

"….M-Mother…."

* * *

Far away, in Dresden, a young boy couldn't sleep. Prince Forrest's room was facing the Grand Cathedral of the Dusk Dragon, and truth be told, the imposing building scared the young prince. The dark and foreboding towers and walls squatted in the centre of the city like an ugly toad.

The stairway was lit by four colossal braziers, all of which illuminated the trio of figures making their way up the steps.

It wasn't the leader his focus was on, nor was it on the figure pulling the third by a chain.

No, his focus was on the figure who was clearly a prisoner, even from this distance, that was evident.

"Who's that?" He wondered.


	12. Chapter 12

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

"That was foolish and childish." Corrin scowled as he led his Blades onward to Gallo's Manse.

"I know." Morgan sighed.

"You should have kept calm and not toyed with him."

"But I-"

"If you hadn't toyed with him, he'd be dead." Corrin sighed. "I've seen you tear through our enemies like they were paper without as much as a grin. You let him get to you and you screwed up."

"….Yes, your Majesty. I apologise."

"That last strike, will it have killed him?"

"Probably. He could be saved, with some skill." Morgan replied.

"We'll leave it to fate then. Now come, Prince Gallo is expecting us."

Morgan's eyes widened a little. "I did not know.."

"It'll give you a chance to steal the Byrnhildr, as Leo is meeting with Gallo too."

Molin's voice interrupted the conversation. "…Y-You mean….you're revealing our home to the Nohrian dogs?"

"I am, Molin. We will reveal ourselves to the Nohrian and Nestrian Princes. Then….vanish once more. Morgan?"

"Yes my King?"

"This will likely be your last 'easy' chance to capture the Byrnhildr. After this, Nohr will be on guard."

"…And it will make things hard for Princess Lilith to work as well." Molin pointed out.

"That is a concern." Corrin agreed. "Lilith was meant to meet up with us by now…"

"Maybe she went straight back home?" Keaton piped up. "She's a competent Lady. She'll be fine."

"I do hope so." Corrin sighed as he strode through the arched entrance to the expansive Barozzi Manse.

The attendants hurriedly ushered the group inside, and toward their master.

* * *

The mood in the dining hall was, understandably, tense. Leo stood alone, as Odin was still missing. Niles was still tending to young Nina. Leo couldn't understand why Niles showed such _interest_ in the young girl. He would talk with him later. Hopefully it wasn't too late to stop any _foolish_ ideas on the part of the archer.

Gallo lounged in his own, throne-like chair. It had creaked a little as he sat down. He took a gulp of wine, and gestured to a particularly regal looking attendant at the door.

"His royal highness, Prince Leo of Nohr." Gallo's own herald announced as Leo took his seat, a stern expression on his face. "And Gallo Barozzi, Merchant Prince of Cyrkensia and rightful King of Nestra."

Gallo settled into his chair, and smiled pleasantly. Leo raised an eyebrow and took his own seat, is gaze focused solely on Corrin.

"From what I hear, that last part is debateable" Corrin smirked. "…Molin?"

"His Benevolent Majesty, King Corrin of Haven, Slayer of the God Anankos, Father of the Havenite Peoples, Shield of the Kingdom." Molin, ever the loyal Squire, announced his Lord with a bow. The young Taguel forced back a smirk. He hadn't bothered to tone down his King's styles. He hoped that the notion of Corrin being a Godslayer intimidated Leo.

If it did, the Prince didn't show it.

"Anankos? Interesting. I think you'll find my ancestor, Cornelia the Second, slew Anankos." Leo commented. "But I am sure it was a nice story you had prepared."

Molin hissed in distaste. "My King is no liar. He killed Anankos and seized his Kingdom for himself!"

"Easy Molin." Corrin chided. "His people's history _does_ say that Cornelia slew Anankos."

"Though we know better, don't we?" Morgan giggled, and a round of laughter went around the Havenites.

"But _you_ slew the dread God!" Molin protested indignantly. "I cannot stand for this lie, your Majesty!

"Molin, you loyalty to me is admirable, but calm yourself." Corrin commanded. "Consider this today's lesson."

Molin's gaze fell to the ground. "Y-Yes, your Majesty."

"Blades, leave us." Corrin waved a hand before pausing. "Molin, you can stay."

Corrin removed his sheath from his belt, with Raijinto in it, and held it out to Kaden. The Kitsune raised an eyebrow.

"Kaden, take this. I at least will remain unarmed, as a show of good faith."

Understanding crossing his face, Kaden took a hold of the famed blade, then he and the other Blades filed out in silence, whilst you young Taguel stood next to his King, putting on a stoic look.

"I trust the presence of my Squire is acceptable, Prince Gallo?"

"Of course, of course! I must say, I've never seen someone of your people, young man." The fat man jovially commented.

"I am not surprised, Prince Gallo." The youthful Taguel replied carefully, keeping his tone respectful. "What's left of the Taguel people live in King Corrin's realm. We consider ourselves Havenites now."

"Taguel eh? Curious. You must tell me more about your culture at some point young man."

"I am…..unsure of why you'd be so interested, Sir." Molin replied, shifting uncomfortably on his feet.

"Cyrkensia is a city of culture, of course!" The man laughed, patting his belly. "And people love exotic culture. The current 'thing' as it were, is Flame Tribe Culture, but a culture from another land? That could be worth _a lot._ "

Molin shook his head. "My culture is not for foreigners' curiosity, _Sir_."

Gallo smiled broadly. "Of course. I never intended offence."

"….I didn't take any, Prince Gallo. I merely stated fact." Molin murmured, the young boy's gaze now focused on the floor.

"Now!" Gallo boomed. "Both of you are here to plead your cases. I know that Nohr is offering me aid to take the throne in return for supplies. What is it Haven wants?"

"We want much the same." Corrin lied easily. "We will not just give you help securing the throne, we will _guarantee_ you it. In return, we wish for access to the royal vaults. There are a few items we believe are inside that we are deeply interested in."

Molin kept silent, and eyed his King carefully.

Gallo let out another booming laugh. "As long as it isn't culturally significant to my Kingdom, I'll grant it to you."

"Then we have a deal." Corrin smirked. It wasn't an entire lie. There _were_ items he wanted in the vault, but they weren't essential to his over all plan.

Leo sighed, and stood up. "I will be in my room, Prince Gallo. I'd rather not discuss our deal in front of ' _King'_ Corrin."

Gallo raised an eyebrow, and shrugged. "As you will then, Prince Leo."

Just as he reached the door, Leo turned to face Corrin again.

"Does the name 'Kana' mean anything to you?" He asked casually, enjoying the few seconds of shock on Corrin's face.

"H-How do you know that name?!"

"Oh? It's just a name that our spies have heard with increasing regularity. Does it mean something to you?" He asked, his tone cruel and teasing.

"Yes." Corrin snarled. "She does."

"I can tell you where she is." Leo smirked. "For a price, of course."

Corrin scowled. "And that price is?"

"….I need you to get Elise back." Leo paused, and drank in the shocked look on the black haired man. They locked eyes, and Leo continued.

"I need you to kill Head Priest Skald."

* * *

Odin awoke in a comfortable bed in what appeared to be a tavern bedroom. Leaning over him was a woman with short, ginger hair.

"Who—argh!" Pain shot through his chest, as he looked up at the woman, who was busying herself with placing bandages soaking in a foul smelling liquid around his chest.

"Quiet you insolent fool." The woman snapped as she worked. "I am trying to save your life. It is made more difficult with you moving."

Odin sighed, and leaned back into the bed. He weighed his options in his head, and sighed.

"I'm in no position to argue." He wheezed, and closed his eyes. "Just...don't make it worse."

The woman nodded, and kept working. She had no idea why her new mistress wanted him alive, but as she owed her mistress her life, she wasn't going to disobey. Even if she had once fought against then fought _beside_ the man before her, she had no ill feelings toward him. Frankly, she felt very little toward him.

"Good. This may hurt a little, little Ylissean."


	13. Chapter 13: An Exile's Rebirth

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

 _The Exile's short, ginger hair stuck to her head as the rain thrashed down, filling the gutters and streets with piercing cold water. It was night, so she was alone, save the guards and her (now fellow) homeless._

 _She tugged her cloak around her, only to shiver as the already wet fabric touched her bare arms. She hissed in annoyance, and stalked toward the small shelter she now called home. It had once been a wagon, though the wheels had long since rotted, and rusted. That was what held the damn thing together now, rot, and rust. The same as Plegia, the Exile mused._

 _Even her beloved bow had rotted away._

 _Exalt Lucina had offered her a place as a bodyguard, as a reward for serving her towards the end of the war. But she didn't need some Ylissean bitch's pity._ Especially _not the pity of Naga's chosen._

 _She needed_ no one's _pity._

 _She slumped to her side, and tried to sleep._

 _As she closed her eyes, in the corner of her steadily dimming vision, she witnessed a figure striding down her alley. This was nothing new. Noble's often came into the lower city to throw coins to (or, if they were young, at) the homeless, before returning home to feel good about themselves. Sometimes they'd hire homeless thugs for a job. Or even people that simply wished to inflict pain on their lessers. Regardless of what the figure wanted, the Exile chose to ignore them, and slowly fell into a light sleep._

 _The Exile never saw the figure stop at her wagon. Nor did she see the figure regard her from under their hood._

 _And she did not see the figure draw a circle with the contents of a small side bag, and ignite them with a mere wave of a hand._

 _If she had, she might have seen the Mark of Grima emblazoned on the figures palm._

* * *

 _The Exile slowly blinked herself awake. The quiet sounds of the day-to-day running of a city came in from outside, the smell of baking bread wafted in from downstairs._

 _But perhaps most intriguingly, was that she was in a bed. A real, honest to goodness bed. With a warm blanket, soft, feather-filled pillows, and no rot in the wood. The fact that she had not fallen asleep in this bed almost slipped her mind._

" _Sleep well, Plegian?"_

 _The voice that snapped her out of her simple joy was somewhat young. Its owner sat on a simple chair in the corner of the room. The woman smiled warmly, black hair cascading down her back as her eyes regarded the Exile with some degree of superiority. "You_ are _Plegian, yes?"_

"… _.Yes. I sleep well. Yes, I am Plegian." The Exile sighed, and tried to fall asleep again. Her companion however, had other ideas._

" _So." The woman asked in a casual tone. "Which line do you hail from, Plegian? Hm? Di Septimus? Di Vanni? Di Julius?"_

" _Di Julius-Juliana…" Came the Exile's muffled reply. She hadn't slept in a real bed for almost three years, and she'd be damned if she didn't enjoy it while she could._

" _Ah. One of my favourites." She smiled, lounging in her chair. "A little clingy to the target of their affections, admittedly, but always so very entertaining."_

" _Who….are y-you to treat my people as such?" The Exile demanded as she slid out of bed and stepped toward the Woman. Whilst her home was gone, washed away by its young King, no one had the right to treat her people and culture as a plaything._

 _The woman slowly stood up, and strode over to her. She grabbed her by the shoulders, and simply stared deep into her eyes. The gleaming bronze orbs drank in the steadily increasing fear on the Exile's face with ever growing glee._

 _It dawned on the Exile that the woman before her was no mere mortal._

 _She was a monster. An ancient creature of unspeakable power._

"… _W-What are y-you?"_

" _You would know me….as the Divine Mother."_

* * *

" _What is this place?" The Exile asked, a few days later. Now given time to calm down, the (far) younger woman had thrown herself into the illusion of being her new Mistress's assistant._

" _Hm? You are in Grandhaven. It's the capital of a kingdom named Haven. There are a few outposts throughout this land, but this is the main settlement."_

" _I see.."_

" _It is also where the remains of the Plegian people ran to after Exalt Chrom slew King Robin…and died doing so. Including Marc and Morgan. Though not the eldest, Severa. She's in a Kingdom named Nohr." A smirk appeared on her face. She knew this would peak the Exile's interest._

" _Why did she not return to her siblings? Her people? She was the Crown Princess! Plegia and her People were her birth right!"_

" _I do not know." She admitted. "I have not set foot in the Kingdom I formed since the celebration of birth of the royal twins. That was some party. It took them five days to clear out the drunks. I think I slept with a General…and his daughter…"_

 _She sighed as she reminisced. She eyed the younger girl._

"Ar _e_ _you are aware of the old tradition. The Cycle?"_

" _The act of taking a new name as symbolic rebirth."_

" _Correct."_

"… _W-Why do you ask, Mistress?"_

" _I am putting you through The Cycle. What will be your name, Exile?"_

" _I am Emissary." She answered after a few minutes thought._

" _Emissary? That's a title, not a name." The dark haired being pointed out. "Are you sure you do not wish to adopt an actual name?"_

" _You are sending me on your missions, Divine One." Emissary stayed knelt. "I am your emissary. I will take a name proper when I am once again worthy of one."_

" _Fair enough." The ancient being cheerfully accepted. "Don't mind if I call you Emi when we're at work?"_

" _Not at all, Mistress."_

 _Weeks later, as Emissary lay on her belly as the Divine Mother carved Grima's Brand on her back with a thin, ornate knife, she smiled despite the pain._

 _The flame of her faith, what had been a mere candle before she had been found now raged like a wildfire. Her heart was once again wholly dedicated to a worthwhile cause, a worthy Mistress._

" _I am sending you out to Nestra." The Divine Mother informed her. "You will save the idiotic Prince Owain. He is using the pseudonym 'Odin'. I have seen that he will be near fatally injured by Princess Morgan. You will let her do so, then rescue him. I will go to, if only to provide you with a way back."_

" _Of course, Divine One." Emissary replied. "Glory to Almighty Grima."_

" _Glory to Grima." The Divine Mother echoed with a smirk. It was a test, to see how unquestioning her new pet's loyalty was._

 _And her, the child of Grima, saving one of Naga's chosen? She could appreciate the irony of that._

* * *

 _Emissary watched the fight from a shadowed alley. Her former Mistress's younger sister was toying with the man. If her mistress was correct, Morgan would wound Owain with what should be a mortal strike._

 _Despite the fact she once counted Owain as an ally, Emissary barely blinked as King Corrin admonished Morgan, who promptly impaled her former lover with her lance. Corrin's party soon departed, leaving Owain bleeding out, alone in the street._

 _Before anyone could stop her, Emissary stalked into view, and approached the wounded Mage. Without ceremony, she hauled the bleeding man onto her back, and slipped off down the alley as quickly as she had come._

 _The Divine Mother awaited her, and waved a hand. A circle of purple light appeared before them, and waved on by her Mistress, Emissary stepped in…_

… _and appeared in the room she had found herself not so long ago._

 _She dumped Odin on the bed, and awaited her Mistress. When she appeared, her Mistress handed her a bowl of foul smelling green liquid and a roll of bandages._

" _Soak these in this." She ordered. "Then pour some of the paste around his wound, then bandage him. Fix him."_

" _Y-Yes, Mistr—"_

"' _Ey! Anyone there?" There was a voice from downstairs._

" _Keep healing him." The Divine Mother ordered. "I will tend to this."_

 _Emissary nodded, and turned her attention back to her patient. The Divine Mother left the room, and headed to the store that occupied the majority of the ground floor._

 _It was a pair of guardsmen._

" _Hey Gents." Merry greeted them with a cheerful smile. "How's the city?"_

* * *

 **Emi(ssary) is NOT an OC. She appeared in Awakening. Can you tell who she is yet?**

 **Also, fun fact for you, the word: emissary, is derived from the Latin: emissarius, meaning scout or spy.**

 **We will be visiting Kana again next, before one of the biggest arcs yet will begin.**

 **And, whilst I'm not from the USA, to those of you who are, happy Thanksgiving.**


	14. Chapter 14

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

Kana had to admit, she _liked_ the Flame Tribe.

Admittedly, she had been upset that Hinoka had 'abandoned' her here. But now, two months into her stay, she could safely say that she was _loving_ the whole adventure.

The people were so nice! Despite looking quite frightening, the Tribesmen treated her like she had been born there! They even asked her to call them Uncle and Aunt! Then again, _all_ of the other children did that.

It was the way of things in the Flame Tribe, beside the Tribal Elders (referred to as 'Elder One') and the Flame Chief (Who was addressed as such, regardless of their gender), all those of the same age group addressed one another as 'Cousin'. Children address adults with the titles Uncle or Aunt (and although they had the right to address adults as 'Cousin' upon becoming an adult, as a sign of respect, most Tribesmen kept using Uncle or Aunt, unless requested otherwise.).

Rinkah had even started to teach Kana how cook. Admittedly, her first few attempts had come close to burning down the Flame Chief's kitchen, but after bringing in Elder Daka, both the young Havenite Princess and Rinkah's treasured Rhajat had begun to get the hang of it.

Perhaps the most important thing Kana had gained during her time here was, a friend. In this case, Rhajat. The daughter of the Flame Chief, and her Husband, the (admittedly adopted) heir of the Wind Tribe's own Chieftain, Fuga. It made the young girl one of the most important outsiders to Hoshido, as the heir to one of their allies, and the future heir to another.

Her snowy locks were more often than not kept in twin tails, which, due to the girl's love of running around, often trailed behind her. She wore a plain white shirt (which was from the Wind Tribe, and not really white anymore, due to the dust only a child can accumulate), and wore the baggy red leggings that most of the Flame Tribe wore.

Kana herself was dressed in similar clothing, although her shirt was blatantly Hoshidan, and she was, as always, barefoot.

"Kan-Kan!" Rhajat giggled as she dashed up Kana. She beamed happily, and pointed at a nearby tree.

"Let's climb that big tree over there!" Rhajat suggested, in a hopeful tone. Sadly, being the Chief's daughter meant that she was often left to herself, not a good thing for an eight year old. Kana had become the first real friend she'd had, and Rhajat treasured her.

Kana pondered. On the one hand, that tree was awfully tall. On the other...

"Sounds like fun!"

* * *

Saizo stood in front of Rinkah's desk with a frown on his face.

It was no secret that Rinkah had a distinct dislike of Saizo. Frankly, she had a dislike of the entire Saizo line (with the possible exception of Asugi), due in no small part to the fact that Saizo Renjiro, the second Saizo, had assassinated the then Flame Chief, and all but one of his children. The relationship had been on the mend when Saizo's father, Saizo Ken, was alive, but had once again declined with the current Saizo. He was in an odd situation where he was _too_ loyal to his liege. Anyone else (aside from Shiro) was a mere distraction.

"We require you to look after the girl for an extended period." Saizo stated. "The war will soon resume, and we have no time to be wasting on her."

"How long?"

"As long as we require."

"What is her name, Saizo?" Came Rinkah's reply.

"Her name is unimportant."

"Yes it is."

"No it is not. _She_ is not important, and will not be important until she is married to Shiro when she comes of age."

"…. _If_ she marries him." Rinkah snapped.

"You assume she'll be given a choice." Came the blunt reply.

This surprised Rinkah. Whilst she personally held only minor affection for the young girl, forcing her into a marriage didn't sit right with her. Arranged marriage didn't even exist in the Flame Tribe! She had thought that Ryoma had sworn off of the practice when he took the throne.

"I did, actually." She admitted.

"The brat is too powerful to waste on someone she herself picks."

"That a little heartless…How is Queen Scarlet?"

"The Queen is recovering, slowly. She will still not walk again. The healers utterly failed to do their jobs."

"Healers can only do so much. No need to hate on Kana for it."

"Were it not for that brat I'd have been in the capital to gut her traitorous father before he could do what he did!"

Rinkah rose to her full height, her hand tightening around her weapon. "Then blame him! Do not blame her for the actions of her father."

"Why?! I do not subscribe to your _primitive_ belief that one's sins are one's own. In Hoshido, she is as guilty as her father until she can atone." It was only a partial truth. Whilst the Hoshidan public would view her as 'tainted' for her father's actions, Kana would not be seen as guilty. A sad casualty of culture, perhaps, but not guilty. "And she will atone by marrying Prince Shiro.

"Then should I blame you for the actions of Saizo Renjiro? And every other dark, morally wrong order any Saizo has ever followed?"

"That incident was insignificant."

Rinkah snarled, and slammed her maul straight into Saizo's gut. Before the Ninja could retaliate, she struck again, this time taking out his legs, causing him to collapse to the floor. She then proceeded to step onto his chest, and manoeuvred her maul right next to Saizo's head.

"The _murder_ of my great-great-grandfather is not a trivial matter!" She roared. "My people are _not_ insignificant. We are not one of Ryoma's sycophants. We are the Flame Tribe! We are you _allies._ "

"In name only." Saizo sneered. "In reality, you are our vassal, a foolish vassal that denies our glory. How long would your people last if we decided to bring you and yours to heel? How long would you last if we bring our army down upon you?"

"Send your army then." Rinkah hissed. "The Flame Tribe We endured the reign of the Dragons. We endured Iskander and his people when they landed here in Sigal, and we endured _your_ people at the height of _your_ Empire. You do not scare us."

The Chief of the Flame Tribe rose, and headed back to her desk. Saizo struggled to his feet, and rubbed his shoulder.

"I'm taking the girl."

"Touch Kana, and lose your hand." Rinkah snapped, stamping her maul on the ground to reinforce her point.

"Run back to your master and tell him this: Send your armies and we will crush them. Send your diplomats, and we will expel them. And if you continue to treat that girl as a mere _thing….."_

The Flame Chief crouched down to be face to face with the fallen Ninja, and bared her teeth.

"Then I will _destroy_ you _."_

* * *

 **Historical Logs: Iskander and the discovery of Sigal.**

 _The continent of Sigal was supposedly discovered some three thousand years ago by the mythical adventurer Iskander. It is unknown where exactly he and his people came from, but due to his appearance in the histories of both the City of Hjem in Nestra, the apparent first settlement, and the Flame Tribe, the last remnants of the Sigal natives, it is safe to say he did actually exist._

 _Iskander and his later descendants infamously lead a slaughter of the natives, until reaching the 'Roof of the World', the mountain range that marks the northernmost border of Nohr and Hoshido. Later expeditions beyond the mountains were all met by failure, with many not returning at all. Those that did reported nothing but a flat, grassy plateau._

 _Curiously, both Nohr and Hoshido claim that Iskander's tomb is located in their respective Kingdoms. Nohr's is located in Orleans, and Hoshido's in Nagoya. Nestra tells an entirely different version of what happened to his remains._

 _His body was placed in an elongated rowboat, and loaded up with riches from across his conquests, as it was sent out to sea, it was set alight._

 _His tradition, minus the riches, was used by the Royals of Nestra until the end of the Anafesto Dynasty._

* * *

 **If there is anything you want me to feature in a future Historical Log, please, let me know.**


	15. Chapter 15: War in chorus, Part 1

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

Silence hung in the room. Molin nervously eyed his King whilst trying to maintain his composure. Gallo had remained seated, frozen in his chair.

"What happened?"

Corrin was forcing back his rage. Whilst yes, he had abandoned both Nohr and Hoshido, he still had some degree of lingering affection for the girl who once called him 'Big Brother'.

Leo sighed, and adjusted his glasses. He looked Corrin dead in the eye, and didn't break eye contact during his explanation. "After we received word of your death, Skald came to us to perform your funeral. Whilst he _did_ say it was completed correctly, I had doubts. But it appeased Elise, so fine. Then she started to the Church more often. Then started spending _all_ her time there. Then she publicly renounced her claim to the throne, and joined the Priesthood. Shaved her head, and started training with knives."

"When was this?"

"Four years after your 'death'. She got worse after Head Priest Skald told her you faked it."

"You mentioned him. Who is he?"

"Skald is a monster." Leo spat. "We think he murdered his predecessor. He had both Arthur and Flannery, that's Effie's real name, in case you had forgotten, imprisoned. We've not seen them for…six...seven years now."

"I hadn't forgotten her name. You do realise that they are probably dead."

"I do. I was not surprised that Elise allowed it, Skald is very…persuasive. Even Arya Morrison has joined him."

Corrin's eye widened. "The most formidable warrior woman Nohr's ever produced is an enemy?"

"Precisely." Leo decided to throw another piece of information at Corrin. He knew that Corrin was protective of his servants, after all.

"They are also holding your old stable girl. Lilith, if I recall correctly."

Corrin snarled. "What. Did You. Say?"

"Corrin" Leo began. "You cannot intimidate me and you know what I just said."

"…..Skald will die screaming." Corrin declared simply. He would've personally seen to it that Skald was _begging_ him to end his miserable existence for even _touching_ his sister...if he had _hurt_ her…

 _Well_ , the Havenite King thought darkly _, I would inflict punishments upon him that even_ Anankos _would have balked at._

"I know you are protective of your servants, but do treat the Head of my faith with _some_ respect. I know you'd wish for me to do the same with the Head of _your_ faith.." Leo lectured.

"I don't believe in Gods." Came Corrin's blunt, harsh reply. It was a half-truth. He _didn't_ believe in Gods, he _knew_ they existed. He had _killed_ a dragon God, after all. What he didn't believe was that the Gods had any _right_ to interfere with Mortal matters. Or to hold sway over Mortals in any way, shape or form.

"That is your right." Leo replied.

"…Who is Kana to you?" Leo asked, his tone betrayed his earnestness. If this girl was important enough to make Corrin declare, without much prompting, that he'd help for the information, she must have _some_ value.

"….My daughter."

Leo was silent for a full two minutes.

"I see. I assume from the fact that she too is missing that Azura is the mother?"

"Indeed. How astute of you, Leo. You always were the most intelligent of the Nohrian Royals."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"I get Elise back, you tell me where my daughter is. Deal?"

Corrin extended a hand out to the man he once called 'Brother'. Leo narrowed his gaze for a moment or two, then extended his own, taking the Havenite King's hand and shaking it.

"Deal, _Brother."_

They maintained eye contact, before Corrin broke away and headed for the rest of his men, Molin bowed before both Leo and Gallo, and followed his lord. He reached the door, and stopped.

"For whatever it is worth….I was sorry to hear about Aveline." Corrin said in a truthful tone. It would _break_ him if he lost his Queen, his Azura, his _heart._ He could, thankfully, only imagine the pain it had caused Leo.

He didn't see the glare Leo shot him as he and his squire walked through the door.

* * *

Niles had remained with Nina. The young girl was now in a bed and trying to catch up on sleep. The pale haired archer had, curiously, remained.

A few hours after making his deal with Corrin, Leo had come to talk with his retainer, informing him of the pla.

"Tell me you're joking and that this is a trick." Niles snapped.

"Of course it's a trick." Leo scoffed. "Let Corrin wage war upon Skald. We get our sister back, and learn how Corrin and his people fight. And when the time comes to crush him under heel….we'll know _just_ how to do it."

"Just be careful." Niles advised, without looking up. "Betrayal often begets betrayal."

"Begets? Using fancy words now, Niles?"

The one eyed archer laughed. "Hey, I've served as your retainer for how long now? 'course I've picked up a few 'fancy' words."

"…How is she?" Leo nodded toward the young girl, sleeping peacefully in the bed.

"…..Her name is Nina." Niles sighed. "…The Healers have done what they can. 'rest is up to her."

"….What will you do with her?"

"We'll see what she says, but…adoption, maybe." Niles sighed. "I don't know."

"She's a street rat."

"So was I." Niles pointed out. "Now I'm a Royal retainer. The 'Lord' of Dulham Mill."

"You know that place is a ruin, right?"

"It's my retirement gift to myself. Get the place done up. Start a farm. That sorta crap."

Leo was silent for a few moments.

"And Forrest will need a retainer." Niles said with a smile. "And before you rant, he is a Prince of Nohr. In the eyes of everyone _but_ you."

"He killed-"

"No." The retainer retorted. "She _died._ Giving birth to your _son._ A son that is convinced you hate him. Aveline would be _ashamed_ of how you've treated him."

"Mind your tone-"

"Why? I'm about the only person you'll listen to on this. Like it or not, Prince Forrest _is_ your son, and will continue to be your son forever. _Unless_ of course you think your _beloved_ Aveline was cheating on you…"

Niles barely blinked as his Lord's fist collided with his jaw.

"How _dare_ you?!"

"I dare because _someone_ needs to make sure you aren't as _shit_ a father as Garon was."

Leo glared at Niles.

"….We depart in the morning. Get some rest."

"….Yes, Lord Leo.

* * *

Contrary to popular belief, The Royal Palace of Haven was not the building's actual name. In actuality, it was named The Babel Tower, but since that did not sound all that impressive or inspiring, most just called it The Royal Palace. The word 'Babel' was Vallite in origin, meaning 'That which touches Heaven'.

Lounging on the throne, dressed in an alabaster silk gown, with a crown, a coiled band of silver and gold, a sapphire embedded into it resting on her head, her blue hair still as long as ever, was Queen Azura. Hanging loosely in her grip was a lance, its shaft was made of enchanted white wood, and decorated with intricate gold and silver vines. The head was a four pointed star, with one point being elongated to form the actual spear point. In a bid to see whether it was possible, it had had a great many enchantments placed upon it, ranging from a Plegian Reinforcing enchantment, to an Ice Tribe 'Conductor' enchantment. Due to it being wielded by the Queen, the mighty weapon had been given the name _Eir,_ named after King Cadros' wife.

The throne itself was black marble, with various designs set in silver and bronze. The back panel, extending almost to the ceiling, displayed Corrin's triumph over Anankos.

"My Queen!" Felicia dashed in, and almost immediately composed herself. She was wearing a heavier version of the armour worn by the City Guard. A teal cloak rested around her shoulders, a black ring with a white centre was in its middle. It was the banner of the Kingdom, and as the Commander of the City Guard, Felicia had the right and the duty to wear her Kingdom's colours. She had found her calling in commanding the fairly small, but skilled men and women of the Havenite City Guard. She hadn't married, but she was in a relationship with one of the Royal Blades, Mordred.

"It's Forward Outpost Theta! It needs reinforcements!"

"What could possibly warrant such a move, Commander?" Azura asked in an authoritative tone.

"It's the Faceless!"

"What?" Azura's tone was doubtful. She couldn't believe it. Or rather, she _needed_ to not believe it.

"The Faceless have returned!"

* * *

 **Royal Blade Mordred is not the same character as Mordred from Fire Emblem: Binding Blade.**

 **Eir refers to the Valkyrie of the same name from Viking mythology, and means 'Help' or 'Mercy'.**


	16. Chapter 16: War in chorus, Part 2

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

Sir Mordred, vanguard of the Royal Blades, and member of the Havenite Expeditionary Brigade, looked out over the great green expanse before him, ran a hand through his short, blonde hair, and sighed.

 _This was never meant to happen._

The King had, several years ago, ordered the construction of two dozen outposts surrounding Grandhaven, creating a perimeter guarding against whatever might be left out in the Vallite Wilds. It was also used to train Havenite soldiers. Currently he was in Theta, the outpost furthest south of the capital.

He himself had been minor nobility from Hoshido, the son of a Nohrian refugee that had saved the Daimyo's son, and his wife. So minor was his nobility in fact that his family title was just that, a title. It came with no special privileges or rights. Just a slightly larger house and slightly larger plot of land.

During Queen Mikoto's reign, he had become embroiled in the Akaikusa Rebellion, and fled as a ronin after the rebellion had been crushed. Chance alone had led he and his fellows to Corrin, and chance alone had allowed him to rise so high.

And chance alone had allowed him to find love in Commander Felicia.

It was almost funny. He had never had much respect for his native City Watch. Made up of younger sons of nobility who hid behind armour and complained about the 'trash' if they got injured on duty. _Clearly, being a City Guard was a safe job. Without trouble or danger….._

But Felicia…

The Ice Tribe Woman had beaten him in the tournament celebrating a decade since the founding. _No,_ He thought. _Beaten is too weak a term. She had destroyed me. In front of the entire Kingdom._

After that, he had sought her out. She had been running a training drill with some of her recruits, and Mordred had noticed the attention to detail she paid to _all_ of her men. Pointing out each error and how to correct it. He made the mistake of challenging her again.

He'd lost. Badly. Worse still, the Commander had pointed out _his_ errors.

It was only after catching some of her men off duty that he started to really respect her. They _gushed_ about her. How she was more like a kindly elder sister than a Commander, always asking about family, and remembered _all_ of their names and birthdays.

 _Something she learned from his majesty._ He mused.

It had taken a year, but they, like Marc and Nyx, and started a relationship (even if most nights they shared ended with the pair of them asleep in Felicia's comfortable chair in her office..).

* * *

It had been young Scout Harding who had brought the news. Mordred hadn't believed it at first, Harding was barely sixteen, and, like many young soldiers, she was prone to seeing things that weren't there. The promise of matching their King's great accomplishment often filled the heads of young recruits with delusions of grandeur.

However…

More scouts came to report the same thing. From out of the wilderness, _scores_ of Faceless, too many to count, were lumbering toward Grandhaven in a slow march.

"This shouldn't be possible…"

Mordred scowled, and headed down into the main square of the outpost. The various soldiers and workers milled about.

"Form up!" His thunderous voice rippled throughout the Outpost, and mere minutes later.

"Men." Mordred sighed. "You have most likely heard the rumours that Faceless have been seen nearby. Well, I am here to put those rumours to rest. They are true."

The uproar was immediate. Panic rippled throughout those assembled like wildfire.

"QUIET!"

With a single, bellowing roar, the Vanguard of Haven brought silence to his outpost.

"….I will not lie to you." Mordred declared as he started to pace. "This situation shouldn't be happening. The Faceless were meant to have all fallen with the death of Anankos. It does not matter, frankly. We are part of his majesty's army, and thus will do our duty. We have enough provisions to keep us fed and watered for at least six months. As such, we will hold the line here. Commander Felicia is already on her way to get reinforcements. We need only wait."

"But how do we know that?!" Came a shout of protest.

"Because we have been told as much by the people whose job it is to deduce these things for His Majesty's armies and for recruits who do not bother to question _who_ figures it all out." Came the Blade's bored response. "Anything else?"

"How do you know all this?!" Another person shouted.

"I am a Royal Blade, remember? I am privy to those types of things." Mordred said simply. "Trust in me, and I will get you home."

There was some grumbling, but soon, all voices were in agreement.

At least, for about thirty seconds…

"Sir!" It was the shaky voice of a young lookout. "Th-They're here!"

The Vanguard strode up to the wall, and looked out over the wilds.

Leading the Faceless horde atop a ghostly steed was a man, dressed in metal armour that appeared pale as the moon, hair blue as the sky and eyes that glinted gold.

Unknown to Mordred and the rest of the outpost, they were looking at Nikolai Isauros. Cousin to Mikoto and Arete, and husband to the latter.

Azura's Father.

* * *

Attor Skald, Head Priest of the Dusk Dragon, strode down the grand corridor of the Grand Cathedral. An angered expression on his face. Awaiting him in the candlelit main chamber,

"Sister Elise, Sister Arya." He greeted in a stern tone. "News has reached us from the capital. Prince Leo has turned away from our faith."

"My brother would not do that." Elise's response was instant, her tone even. "He is a faithful follower of our Almighty."

An almost sad expression crossed Skald's face. "This is not about whether or not Leo is faithful. I am the Dusk Dragon's chosen representative on this world, and he is trying to kill me."

"How do you know this?" Elise raised her voice, and immediately apologised.

"My spies are everywhere. In every city, town and church."

"You spy on the Royals?" Elise inquired, keeping her tone respectful.

The Head Priest shrugged. "I spy on everyone."

"I will hold the grand staircase, Holy One." Morrison murmured, and headed to the doors. "Glory to the Dusk Dragon."

"Go in Glory, Sister Arya." Skald replied. "Die well."

The great doors creaked open, and the greatest warrior in Nohr strode out without so much as a glance back, her hand had never left Ganglari's hilt.

Skald waved Elise off, and strode to the staircase in the back corner of the Cathedral.

As he descended into the shadowed halls he called home, he passed the various floors hidden by the mountain of rock that the great building was built into. The various prayer halls and dining halls, the catacombs and offices.

Then he reached the prison.

Elise's former retainers were unimportant, and as such, didn't warrant attention. The occupant of his destination cell, however..

"Creature." He greeted with as much contemptuous politeness he could muster.

Lilith glared at him from the gloom.

"You finally have a use. The traitor Prince his coming. You will be bait."

"You've _no idea_ what you've brought upon your followers." She said simply. "Corrin will lay waste to you and yours, no matter what you place in his way. My brother will not spare you."

It was not fear on the face of his prisoner now.

It was pity.

"Your monstrous brother will soon be dead, and his profaning of our faith repaid." Skald explained. "And you will join him soon after."

Then Lilith laughed.

It was a giddy laugh. Harsh and mocking.

"You think it's my _brother_ you should fear the most? HA! No no no…You should _pray_ my brother is the one who finds you…"

She forced herself against the bars, and sneered.

"If it's my _husband….."_ She allowed herself a laugh. Dipping into the persona Skald expected a dragon to have was most enjoyable.

"He'll be sure to take you _alive.."_

* * *

Emissary sighed as she walked the streets of the Hoshidan city. A place this bright and peaceful had no real right to exist, in her mind. Why should it? It wasn't some paragon of city building, nor its people paragon's of humanity.

Frankly, it made her sick.

She would be glad when this mission for her new mistress was over. She could return back to that new, simple life of baking, and acting like a real person again, not whatever she had become in Severa's service.

 _That bitch._

The memory of her former Mistress stung, even now. She had been loyal. She had betrayed her homeland and family for her. Given her her heart, her love and her soul.

 _And yet she left me behind._

She sighed, and recited her personal mantra:

 _Focus on the mission, Focus on the mission...We are Emissary now. Emissary. Noire is dead. We are Emissary._

She tugged her cloak closer to her body.

 _Where the hell is this Prince Takumi?_


	17. Chapter 17: War in chorus, Part 3

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

To Leo's somewhat immense surprise, Corrin actually showed up. The man he once called brother wore Noble Armour with a colour scheme he could not place, light blue and white, with the odd bit of gold thrown in for good measure. Teal cloaks with a black ring with white centre rested on his, and all of his so-called 'Blade's' shoulders. Molin lingered at his King's side, with Morgan and Silas flanking them. Kaden and Keaton were holding the line at Corrin's camp.

Oh, and Raijinto rested on the Havenite King's belt. Leo made a mental note to look into that. In all likelihood, it had something to do with rumours of Queen Scarlet being greatly injured.

"Brother." He greeted without looking at Leo.

"…..Corrin." The bespectacled Prince replied. Niles lingered behind him, wearing and oddly serious look on his face.

"Since this is your 'show' as it were, take the lead, _brother_?" Corrin suggested. "Since you know this place?"

"You grew up in Nohr too, Brother."

"And I barely remember Dresden at all." Corrin smirked. "You know, on account of being booted up into the Northern Fortress and all."

"And now you're a King." Leo mused. "Seems things turned out well for you, no?"

"Shut up Leo." Morgan piped up. "Just point us at the peoples whose asses we need to kick, and let us deal with the problem."

The blonde man scowled. "I wield Brynhildr. I can handle myself. You should act like Niles and hold your tongue. _He_ at least is a proper retainer."

Morgan shot the Prince a polite smile. "I'm not a retainer, I'm a Royal Blade."

"….I stand corrected." Leo murmured. Niles on the other hand merely grinned.

"I like her." He commented.

"….Niles, please don't." Leo sighed exasperatedly.

"What? Nothing like a good fight to get you into the mood for a good fu-"

Heavy footfalls interrupted their conversation. A tall, imposing figure was striding down the Cathedral steps. They wore surprisingly simple armour, and was completely covered by heavy black shawl. A sword hung at their side.

"Who the fuck is that?" Morgan asked loudly, to no one in particular.

The figure stopped about ten steps above the group.

"Prince Leo. _Traitor."_

"Grand Marshal Morrison." Leo politely inclined his head in greeting.

"You're still alive Arya? Colour me surprised." Corrin smirked. "I thought you died in your sleep _years_ ago.

"And I am surprised _you_ had the balls to actually come here to meet your fate, _traitor."_

"Don't insult the King!" Molin tried to threaten Morrison, but his slight hesitation in his voice betrayed his fear.

"Be silent!" Morrison boomed as she drew Ganglari from its sheath. The dark blade glowed with an ominous hue as she pointed it toward Corrin and Leo. "You both are blind! Turned away from our true faith!"

She shrugged her hood down, revealing the extent of the swords corruption of her. Her skin was pale, almost blue. Her veins were dark, as though it was _ink_ running through them.

"The price…was worth it." The once proud warrior hissed as she spotted the appalled looks on her enemies' faces. "I am now the champion of the faith…its last defence against _FILTH LIKE YOU!"_

"Grand Marshal…what in the name of all that's-"

"I SAID BE **SILENT!"** Power, raw and awesome, crackled in the air around Nohr's most feared soldier. "I tire of this prattle. You are a threat, so you will die."

Morrison held her blade aloft, and her cry filled the night air.

"GANGLARI! GUIDE MY BLOWS!"

* * *

The Queen, after dispatching a number of soldiers to assist Royal Blade Mordred, gathered a dozen or so guards, and headed for the palace dungeons. The few corridors were, surprisingly, well lit, and lightly guarded, due to there only being one exit. She stopped at a certain cell, and ordered her men to be ready.

Azura swung the cell door open, and strode over to its sole occupant.

The woman was small (barely taller than Nyx), her hair reaching halfway down her back, and deathly pale. She was dressed in a straitjacket, and chained to the wall by a single ankle. Bandages covered her eyes, and dried blood marred her cheeks.

"How are you today, _Higanbana?"_ Azura asked the prisoner in a casual, conversational tone.

"…Az….Azura.." The voice wavered, as though its owner was in a perpetual state of fear. Which, of course, she was. She had once been a proud ninja of Hoshido that stumbled upon a Havenite excursion party. She'd been brought back to Grandhaven and paraded through the streets as a trophy, then…nothing. Or so the Havenite population knew.

The Queen smiled, and knelt down, cupping the younger woman's cheek with one hand. "That's 'Your Majesty' to you, my dear."

"…Y-Your…Majesty…"

"Good girl! How would you like to leave this cell for a while?"

"…W-What do you require of me?"

"I need you to assist Mordred with a small incursion." Azura smiled. "Would you like to see him again?"

"…..Y-yes, your majesty."

Azura nodded happily and stood up. She turned on her heel, striding out of the cell. Turning to one of her honour guard, she issued her orders. "Prepare Lady Higanbana for combat. She will depart immediately to reinforce Outpost Theta."

She smiled faintly as the guards uttered their acknowledgement. She started to walk away as her honour guard hastened to catch up.

"What happened to her, your Majesty?" One of her guards asked, as confidently as he dared.

"I gave her to Dorian."

This was enough to quieten the guard into a horrified silence.

"Every Kingdom has monsters, guardsman." Azura explained when she spied the look on his face. "We merely offered Haven's monster a job and got him on our side before he could cause trouble for us."

"But what did Dorian _do_ to her?"

"Soldier." She chuckled. "If you are so interested, I'm sure I can arrange a….. _first hand_ demonstration."

"No…that's…not necessary, Your Majesty. I'm merely curious as to why we continue to antagonise Hoshido, rather than engaging them directly. It seems needlessly cruel to give her to that madma-"

"…They kidnapped my daughter, soldier." The Queen interrupted in a sharp tone. "We will weaken them, soldier by soldier, city by city. Only when we can _crush_ our foe will we make our move."

"All because of one child?"

"A parent's love for their child is like nothing else in the world, soldier." Azura murmured, her voice growing ever more passionate and maddened as she spoke. "It knows no law, no pity, it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path. If we must burn down creation itself to get her back, we will _not_ hesitate. If we must breach the gates of the Heavens, or break down the doors of hell, _we will not hesitate._ Do you understand, soldier?"

"….Y-Yes, your majesty."

* * *

 **So yeah, don't try to spy on Haven…**

 **Fun fact: In the first draft of this, it was** _ **Sakura**_ **who was Lady Higanbana. But I couldn't figure out a way to have her both transported to Haven and 'converted' into Lady Higanbana, so random Ninja it is.**

* * *

 _Emissary sighed, and crept along the rafters of the somewhat nondescript building. She had followed a number of people into this building, somewhere they had no business being in._

 _Down below, men and women with traditional Hoshidan masks on sat before a single man._

 _He wore the armour of his father, recovered from his corpse in Cheve, and his silvery hair was kept in a ponytail draped over one shoulder._

 _Muromachi Takumi, leader of the Imperialist Faction in Hoshido._

 _The doors opened, and Emissary held her breath as the fifth Saizo strode in and knelt before Takumi._

" _Corrin is in Nohr." The ninja stated calmly. "It is time, Lor-…_ _ **Emperor**_ _Takumi. We must make our move now."_

" _Is that so?" Takumi asked airily, and he stood up, holding his arms out wide. "Very well. Have our men prepare to march on the Flame and Wind Tribes. We will bring the savages into our new glorious Empire!"_

 _A ripple of applause went around the room, then their_ glorious _Emperor left the room via a back door._

" _Leave me." Saizo barked, and the other occupants made their exits._

 _The Ninja removed a steel ball from his belt, and tossed it upward, toward the unwanted guest. The archer fell from the rafters, and pulled her bow free._

" _Who are you?!" Saizo thundered._

 _Emissary tilted her head, and swiftly notched an arrow into place._

" _Your end." She hissed._


	18. Chapter 18: War in chorus, Part 4

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

"But why can't I go with you?"

Azura rolled her eyes, and took a few calming breaths. She had just told Shigure that she was leaving the city to go and deal with the Faceless incursion. _Without him._

Her son had protested, of course.

"Shigure." She begun, crouching down to talk face to face. She kept her tone serious, but not cold. "I am leaving you in charge of two of Haven's most important treasures. Caleb and Sophie."

"But they're family, not treasures!" He cried. "Why do I-"

" _Shigure Constantine Isauros._ " Azura's voice slipped out of a motherly tone and into a queenlier one. "I am not giving you this order as your Mother, but your Queen. I am leaving you as the _Royal_ in the city. _Don't ever_ let me hear you claim your family isn't a treasure again, understand?"

"Y-Yes M-Mother."

Azura's expression softened, and gently pulled her son into a loving embrace. "I am sorry if that was harsh, but you are the Crown Prince. Better you learn this lesson now than when there is a _real_ danger."

Shigure nodded in vague understanding, and wrapped his short arms around his mother. "…Okay Mother."

* * *

A few hours later, Azura strode into Outpost Theta surrounded by a company of guards. In a carriage toward the back of the group, Lady Higanbana sat silently, and in chains. Haven's Queen walked over to the carriage, and awaited for her guards to open it for her.

"Is she ready?" Azura asked as she regarded the scared looking woman coldly.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Came the response of one of her guards.

"Then let's let her loose." The Queen ordered.

The guards, without any sense of social grace, pulled Higanbana from the carriage and removed the straitjacket from the terrified young woman, who immediately fell to her knees, hugging herself tightly.

Runes had been cut, _scarified_ into her arms and seemingly tattooed over.

Another guard bent down, and removed the bandages from around her eyes, revealing a pair of strikingly orange orbs.

"W-Where…W-Where am I?"

"Outside." Azura said, almost comfortingly. "We're in Outpost Theta. We need you to assist with ….trifling matter."

The younger woman's eyes widened

"Walk out of the front gate for us."

"J-Just…that?" Higanbana asked shyly. "-W-Will….W-Will that help, your majesty?"

"Very much so." The Blunette's soft voice drifted into her ears. "It'd help me a _great_ deal."

"O-Okay…"

Without so much as another word, the younger girl stumbled toward the front gate. The guards stationed there let her though with piteous looks on their faces. The pale haired woman turned to look at Azura, as if checking to see if she was happy with her service.

"Keep going. I'll tell you when to stop."

Higanbana did as she was told, and walked, unafraid and alone, toward the Faceless horde.

"Will you send anyone after her, Your Majesty?" Mordred inquired.

"Not now. I wish to see her capabilities." Azura replied, keeping her gaze on the small figure.

"If she dies…."

"If she dies, all we've lost is a test subject." Azura pointed out without looking away. "A prisoner interrogated and turned to our own glorious purpose."

Mordred sighed. "Still. I'd rather let my soldiers deal with this, My Queen."

"Noted, Royal Blade."

* * *

Somewhat unsurprisingly, the Faceless did not care for the fact the girl was both young, and barely aware of her surroundings. They merely kept to their slow walk. It took a full three minutes for Higanbana and them to reach one another.

"H-Hello?" Higanbana stammered in greeting, only to let out a frightened yelp as the nearest creature swung at her.

"D-Don't! P-Please don't do that!"

Once more, her pleas went unheeded.

"G-G…Get away….." She stammered as she edged away from the oncoming horde of Faceless.

They didn't listen, and kept on marching.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Lady Higanbana let out a primal screech, and thrust her arms forward. The runes craved into her skin shone gold, as torrents of flame billowed out of her palms, incinerating everything in her path. Faceless of all shapes and sizes that would have been threatening simply vanished into the fire, leaving naught but ash behind.

It had not been the _entire_ Faceless horde. The being controlling them now was evidently intelligent. But the Forces that were there that day had been obliterated, leaving little more than smoke and a terrified young girl in their wake.

Meanwhile, in the Outpost, those observing stood in stunned silence. A silence broken by a Royal Blade.

"Bloody hell." Mordred quietly cursed. "They're gone."

"Indeed, Sir Mordred. Your opinion?"

"Put bluntly? It's terrifying, My Queen. The thought that we are now capable of some feats…is dangerous."

The Queen ignored him. She narrowed her gaze as fire still left Higanbana's palms in torrents.

"She's still going." She commented. "The Fire hasn't stopped."

"….Why is she screaming?" Was Mordred's query.

Terror gripped the former Ninja now. She had, as a child, had a fear of fire, now it left her at an impossible rate. She tried to stagger back into the Outpost, her eyes wide and fearful.

"M-Make it stop.." She begged Azura, as fire continued to pour from her palms. Azura nearly narrowed her gaze and kept observing the pleading woman.

"M-MAKE IT STOP!"

Mercifully, Mordred slipped behind her, and crashed the hilt of his sword against the back of the poor woman's' head.

"I did not order that, Mordred."

"I know." Came his response.

"Immense power at the cost of her emotional stability. Interesting!" Came a disturbingly cheerful voice behind the group. The owner of the voice wore a white robe that ended just shy of his heavy leather boots. A belt with various medical implements hung loosely around his waist, and a pair of glasses more commonly seen on the heads of clockmakers than Mages rested on his nose. Frankly, the man himself looked… _ordinary._ Slightly tanned skin, blue eyes and brown hair. In a crowd and out of uniform, it'd be near impossible to pick him out.

"Doctor Erised. You finally grace us with your presence." Azura smiled.

Dorian shrugged. "It was high time I got out of my laboratory for a while. Since you were testing out Subject 11-K in the field, I decided to come and collect data. Sadly, it would seem I still have work to do. We can't have ithaving a breakdown on the battlefield, now can we?"

"Of course not." Azura agreed. "That would be most troublesome."

"Ah well. Come on then soldiers." Dorian smiled, all too pleasantly. "Secure her and bring her back to the Citadel. We have work to do."

"Yes, Doctor."

"Always a pleasure, Queenie." The Doctor beamed. "I'll keep you updated."

"Do remember the proper address next time, Dorian." Azura chided good-naturedly.

With a respectful bow, Dorian departed.

"Mordred?"

"Yes My Queen?"

"Someone is using the Faceless. This should be impossible."

"Correct, My Queen."

"You have authorization. Deal with this matter as you see fit, Royal Blade."

Mordred saluted. "Of course, My Queen. The enemy will not see tomorrow."

"I will hold you to that, Mordred." The blue haired Queen told him as she strode off.

* * *

 **Historical Log: The Havenite Ministry of Magi-Science Research (HMMSR)**

 _Perhaps the most controversial part of the Havenite Government is the HMMSR, its Magical and Scientific research division. It exists to push to boundaries of what was possible both magically and scientifically, and answers directly and exclusively to the Monarch and their Consort._

 _HMMSR was and is based in the Pale Citadel, a small fortress built in Grandhaven, although it would later be moved to an identical facility outside the city._

 _During the reign of my great-grandfather, King Corrin, HMMSR was in charge of several major projects, some of which could be considered unethical, and others that were down right monstrous._

 _Its first Director was a respected Nestrian Doctor, Andrew Hendrickson, but he eventually died during an experiment involving a number of different herbs whilst trying to make a more efficient Vulnerary. Unfortunately, the test batch resulted in the horrific death of Hendrickson after it caused his heart to explode after his heart rate skyrocketed._

 _After Hendrickson's death, another man, Dorian Erised, took over. Undeniably a genius and thoroughly different in his approach, Doctor Erised abandoned certain moral constraints and actively ran experiments on living beings, mainly spies from other nations, although as history would prove, his most important creation would have far greater application outside the theatre of war._

 _Excerpt from the book 'Haven in the First Century', written by Irene Isauros._

* * *

 **I will admit, I almost made Lady Higanbana Kagero, in fact, Kagero was Lady H right up until the final draft, but I decided it was actually more horrifying for Lady H to be some nameless (and less experienced) ninja, rather than a fully trained and tested one like Kagero.**


	19. Chapter 19: Interlude

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

Selena yawned herself awake, and blinked her weary eyes. Looking about, something soon dawned on her.

The room was not a cell. It was not a tavern room.

It was Camilla's room in Castle Krakenburg. Comfortable pillows smelling faintly of lavender cushioned her head, whilst a thick, fluffy blanket covered her. Thin streams of light poured in from the window, obscured by rich purple curtains.

Greeting her were the smiling faces of both of her Lovers.

"….Hi?" She sheepishly greeted them.

Camilla launched herself forward and wrapped her arms around the Redhead, hugging her tightly.

"Oh I was so worried!"

Beruka smiled faintly as her mistress stepped away, and promptly slapped her Red-Headed lover. Selena's eyes widened as mild pain burned across her cheek.

"What the-"

"THAT…is for making us worried."

"What the hell Ber- mmph!"

She had mere moments to register what had happened before the shorter woman grabbed her by the collar, and kissed her hungrily, as if needing reassurance that she was actually there.

Selena gasped for air as Beruka broke away, and glared at her. "You can't just slap me, then force your tongue down my throat!"

Beruka merely grinned, almost teasingly. "I just did."

Selena's mouth opened but no sound left it.

"Now!" Camilla smiled pleasantly. "I was told by a Marc Di Augustina that-"

"My little brother met you?!" Selena all but yelled in surprise, and let out a harsh, spluttering cough. Her voice had, clearly, not returned to its fullest yet.

"He did. He also told me that you are a _princess._ Was he lying?" Camilla's tone was a strange, calm cheer that betrayed her ever growing anger.

Selena sighed, and propped herself up on her pillows.

"….He was telling the truth."

Camilla took a seat on the edge on the bed as Selena continued her explanation, Beruka, surprisingly, stayed knelt on the bed, unwilling to leave Selena's side. "I am…I was…Crown Princess Severa Di Augustina. Born in the Palazzo Di'Arance seventeen years prior to the third Plegia-Ylisse War."

"The what?"

"The Palace of Oranges. The winter palace of the Plegian Royal Family. Nice place in the middle of the desert."

"I…actually meant the war."

"Oh…it was the third war between my home nation of Plegia and our eastern neighbour, Ylisse."

"You don't say." Camilla drawled.

Selena fought back a wince as she shrugged. "It wasn't exactly a pleasant time of my life. Fighting for my county and my father without rest. I did…frankly _vile_ things in his name.."

"Your father was a tyrant, like ours?"

"Oh no. D-…Father _adored_ us." A genuine smile formed on the woman's face, warmth filling her voice. "He'd stop court every night when we were going to bed to come and tell us stories. _Tell_ us, mind you, never read. He'd make it up as he went along. He'd make sure we'd have at least one meal together a day. He even changed succession laws to make me his heir."

"Because you're a girl?"

Selena simply smiled, and shook her head. Robin had been one of the first, if not _the_ first, to notice her preference for women (admittedly, he _had_ caught her in bed with a maid in a _highly_ compromising position). He had, regardless, changed the rules of succession to an Absolute Primogeniture, meaning the eldest child of the monarch inherits, regardless of gender, as opposed to the previous, Male-Preference Primogeniture system.

" _No."_

* * *

Xander sighed for the umpteenth time as he regarded his retainer from one side of his table. Two goblets of wine sat upon it, along with numerous reports.

"Did you know?" He asked finally.

"Know what?" Laslow smiled faintly, knowing full well what was being asked.

"About Selena, Laslow."

"I you are asking if I knew she was a Princess, yes I did. She asked me to keep it a secret, My Lord."

"I see. Were you ever going to tell us?" His liege carried on.

"Only if she said she wanted to. Then we'd all rev- Ah."

"Hm?"

Laslow let out a soft chuckle. "I apologise, Lord Xander. I too have kept my true name from you..."

The King's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Go on."

"I am Inigo of Savoy, son of Duke Ricken and the Duchess Olivia." The foreign mercenary said proudly. "The saviour and restorer of the Savoy Family after his grandfather turned traitor in the first Plegia-Ylisse War. Although please, keep calling me Laslow." He grinned. "It'd be too hard to teach people to call me Inigo." He added jokingly.

Xander raised an eyebrow. "Does Peri know? Does your Soleil?"

"My girls both know, yes. Peri knows everything, Soleil knows I am not from Sigal, but not much more than that."

"Why not go back? You'd have land, and a title."

"Savoy is long gone, Lord Xander." Laslow said, in an all too calm tone. "It burned in the _third_ Plegia-Ylisse war. Along with my Father."

Xander's eyes widened a little. "I'm sorry."

"…Thank you." Laslow took the condolence earnestly. "

"If you don't mind my asking, _how_ did your father die?

Laslow sighed again, and took a much needed gulp of wine. "It was in the final year of the war. Plegia's army marched straight across the border and stormed across my father's land, their monarch was leading them. He attacked Dunford, the main town in the Savoy lands. My father defended it well enough, bought us enough time to evacuate to the Capital. I am told that King Robin killed him personally in a duel. Two of the most powerful mages on the continent duelled in the main square."

"King Robin being Selena's father?"

"Yes.

"He was a tyrant then? Selena turned out pretty well considering."

"He wasn't to start with." Laslow sighed, and took another sip of wine. "He was a genuinely good King to start with. Trade opened up, quality of life went up in Plegia, and the people loved their new royals. They helped us in the Valmese War. Hell, Odin was betrothed to his youngest daughter, and Lucina, the Exalt...our monarch, was betrothed to his only son. Ylisse and Plegia were the _closest_ of allies."

Xander raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

"An Ylissean Noble assassinated his wife…or had his wife assassinated, he wasn't the type to do the deed himself." Laslow waved a hand. "The bloody fool thought to marry his daughter to him. Unfortunately, Robin went _mad_ with grief and invaded to go and take the Noble's head. And _all_ of Plegia had his back. Even Selena followed him, at the start."

"But?"

" _Something_ happened." Came the grim, final reply.

Silence reigned for a few minutes.

"Laslow?"

"Hm?"

"Who sent you?"

Laslow sighed. "No one. After the war, I needed to get away, same with Odin and Selena. We arrived via a deeprealm gate."

"Why not go back? Rebuild Savoy?"

Laslow's face contorted into a scowl for all of five seconds. "You are a _far_ greater ruler than Lucina."

"There's a story there, isn't there?"

"…..With respect, Lord Xander, please just take my word on this one."

"Very well then. I can respect that."

"Thank you."

"That will be all, Laslow. Goodnight."

"Are you sure, Lord Xander?"

Xander smiled. "Go tell your daughter of her grandfather. Tell her a tale of a heroic Mage and a desperate Sorcerer. Tell her the tale of your family."

"She'll be asleep.."

"Soleil, asleep? Little Miss 'I must run around all day because I'm so hyperactive, Oooh cute puppy!'? I'd be _concerned_ if she was asleep now."

"Concerned?" Laslow smirked.

"Well." The King of Nohr grinned as he raised his goblet in toast. "She _is_ my Goddaughter."

* * *

Odin awoke with a start, and looked around. The room was cosy, warm and fairly small.

"So." Came an amused voice from the corner of the room. "You're finally awake, Exalted Prince."

The woman walking confidently over to him was the same that had mere months ago greeted Noire. The pleasant smell of baking bread and sugar clung to the woman, who kept a somewhat neutral expression on her face.

"Where-"

"Shhh…..hush now."

The woman smiled indulgently at the startled younger man as she pressed a finger to his lips.

"Welcome to Haven, _Prince Owain_."

* * *

 **Originally, this interlude would have had Shigure adventuring around the Royal Palace with some of the Second Gen Havenites, but I couldn't for the life of me get it to flow right. Hopefully get it sorted for the next interlude.**

 **Since I doubt that I'll update again before Christmas (i.e, tomorrow), I will wish you all Happy Holidays and do hope you all have fun and stay safe.**


	20. Chapter 20: War in chorus, Part 5

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on FFNet

* * *

Saizo fought the urge to laugh at the woman before him. She didn't look at all threatening, no matter how cruel the arrowhead she kept trained on him appeared. Yet it was her eyes that did startle him. Usually, enemy soldiers eyes blazed with hate and a thirst for glory, this woman's however were seemingly frozen over with simple, steely killing intent.

"I am surprised you didn't just kill me." Saizo commented. "It's what I would have done."

Emissary grit her teeth, and kept the arrow levelled at Saizo's throat.

"My Mistress demanded as few casualties as possible. I'd rather not kill you, but that does not mean I am averse to or forbidden from committing a violent maiming."

"Then your Mistress is a fool." He sneered. "What better way to remove a threat than to do so permanently?"

"Sometimes, it is far better to let a foe live, to spread the tale and sow fear." She intoned. "Rather than murder to satisfy bloodlust."

The Archer made her move before Saizo could retort. Bathed in a faint fog, the woman moved faster than Saizo's eye could follow. Zigzagging across the chamber until she reached just behind Saizo. Pulling two arrows from her quiver, she drove one _deep_ into his left hand. The man didn't even have time to howl out in pain before her second arrow was at his throat.

"H-How...the _hell_ did you do that?!" He seethed.

"My Mistress granted me the hallowed Mark." Emissary said, her voice dropping into momentary reverence. "The Mark grants me Ignis."

Saizo bit back a snarl. His hand started for his knife.

"Saizo?" Came a voice beyond the doors. Its owner was soon revealed. The woman was (and Emissary had no qualms admitting it), beautiful.

Oh, and armed to the teeth, if the knives on her belt were anything to go by.

"Kagero!" Saizo shouted at the other ninja "What are you doing?! Why did you return?!"

"Because someone has to save your sorry behind when you screw up!" The woman scowled. "Not to mention the fact that the _King_ wants to see you."

"Well why didn't you tell me that to start?!"

Kagero glared.

"If I might interrupt?" Emissary was genuinely dumbfounded. There she was, actively threatening the life of the elder (at least, she _guessed_ he was the elder) ninja, and the couple were having a marital spat! "HEY!"

"STAY THE HELL OUT OF THIS!" Barked both Ninja, who went straight back to arguing. Emissary allowed it, until...

"But what of the child?!"

 _Oh, now THIS was juicy._ Emissary turned her attention to this, Kagero. How could she have missed it?

 _"_ Child?" Emissary grinned. "Not _with child,_ surely?"

The two Ninja snapped their attention back to the invader, her presence almost forgotten.

"Don't. You. Da-"

"Now." Emissary smiled faintly, not relaxing her grip for a moment. "I'm going let you go. And then you will take your wife and leave. If you try to double-cross me, I'll feather _her_ with arrows first and make certain your unborn child dies."

"You don't have the-"

"Do you _truly_ wish to test that? I am, after all, not Hoshidan, therefore, am I not a filthy savage?"

The logic of the woman's statement struck deep. His own views were being thrown into his face. Loathe as he was to admit it, he knew he had no leg to stand on.

"….Very well." The Ninja's tone was heavy, mixing regret and resignation.

The archer nodded politely, and relaxed her grip, and allowed the ninja to slip from her grasp.

"Run along, Dog of Hoshido." She said calmly. "Go home to your Son."

"How do you-

"My Mistress gave me all the information I required, _Katsu_. I do hope your _Asugi_ grows up into a fine successor to your line."

The Ninja scowled, but, nevertheless, he _had_ agreed to leave. Whilst he had betrayed his true liege, he hadn't yet abandoned the _entirety_ of his honour. With a final glare, he, and his wife, left.

* * *

Takumi scowled in distaste when his door was kicked open.

"Saizo is dead then." He spoke as Emissary made her entrance. "A pity."

"Surprisingly not. Saizo and Kagero live. You are betrayed, Takumi."

"Are you here to kill me then?"

"Does it matter?"

"I suppose not. Nohrians of your ilk see no need to have a reason to destroy."

"You are delusional." Emissary scoffed. "And I am _not_ Nohrian."

Takumi let out a snarl. "You're one of Corrin's dogs."

The archer let out a harsh laugh. "I do not serve Corrin. I serve someone infinitely his greater. She wants your Bow. As her loyal servant, I am bound to the quest to retrieve it."

"Do you lack the comprehension of whom you are talki-"

"Oh for fuck sake, cease with the fancy language already."

"I am-"

"You are Muromachi Takumi" Emissary began. "Leader of the Imperialist Faction in Hoshido. Said group wishes to revive the old Hoshidan Empire by conquering the rest of southern Sigal. Heh…sounds pretty _Nohrian_ to me. And, do correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Muromachi _Ryoma_ the leader of your people?"

"Ryoma is unworthy to lead our people! Ever since he brought that foreign whore to court, Hoshido has been dying! I had to do it!"

"Still makes you a traitor." Emissary pointed out with a smile.

"How dare you?!"

"Easily." Emissary smiled. "You're not my monarch."

It took less than five steps for the Archer to cross the room and reach her fellow Bow wielder. It took two more to cross the oversized table set in front of him. Her target, the famed bow, the Fujin Yumi was mounted on the wall behind him, looking like it was gathering dust.

"It's almost a shame. Such a famed and storied weapon...mounted on the wall as a _trophy._ "

"It's my weapon!" Takumi stood up in protest. "MINE!"

The Plegian Archer _vanished._

Takumi's paranoia set in, and he dashed to the centre of the room, trying to find her as he spun around. Said paranoia was only amplified by Emissary soft, girlish giggling.

"STOP TAUNTING ME!"

"...As you wish." Came the whisper behind him.

His foe reappeared behind him. Emissary slammed Takumi's head against the ornate table. Without allowing him a moment's respite, she launched her boot into his gut, _hard._ Takumi collapsed to the floor, bursting into a violent coughing fit, but Emissary ignored him. She strode across to the wall, and tore the hallowed bow from its mounts. She, her objective in hand, turned on her heel, and addressed her foe.

"Nice try, _Child._ Next time do cease believing your being Emperor protects you from harm. A crown neither protects, nor empowers you. Perhaps the next time we meet, you might be able to reclaim your weapon."

Without so much as a backward glance, Emissary, with the Fujin Yumi in hand, simply strode away, oblivious to the death glare that the self-proclaimed Emperor was shooting her.

"Oh" She said, stopping at the door.

"And do give my regards to your _son."_

* * *

The woman smiling down at him unnerved him. He couldn't tell if it was her bronze eyes, or the strange aura she was giving off, but whatever it was, he felt that he was in a great deal of danger.

"You are Owain Lowell, yes?" She asked in a tone that betrayed the fact she already knew the truth. "A Prince of Ylisse."

The Mage slipped out of his bed, and winced as he stood up. "That's correct.."

"Son of Princess Elisabeth 'Lissa' Lowell and her husband, 'Lord' Henry, a Plegian traitor."

"Father wasn't a traitor!"

"What would you call someone who betrays their birth country? A patriot?" The Divine Mother teased. "Come now, being the Son of a man who chose the woman he loved over his country isn't something to be _ashamed_ of."

"I was never ashamed of him." Odin said quietly. "Embarrassed sometimes, true. But _never_ ashamed."

"Good." The woman sighed, genuine sadness drifting into her voice. "Children should never be put the position where they _must_ be ashamed of their parents."

"Am I a prisoner here?" Odin wanted to get the most important question out of the way.

"Oh goodness no." The woman laughed, her former reverie already forgotten. "If you wish to leave, leave."

"Then what was the point?!" The Mage yelled. "Why the hell did you bother to save me only to let me go?!"

"Would you believe simple, human kindness?"

Owain narrowed his gaze." "No."

"I thought not. Well, the truth is I thought you might like to meet your daughter..." She commented casually. "Was I wrong?"

The Mage merely looked at the woman with barely hidden disbelief. "How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"I said you were in Haven. Haven is where Ophelia Di Owain is. Despite your…proclivity for theatrics, you aren't a fool. You _could_ find her."

She smiled again.

"So, what's your answer?"

* * *

 **Historical Logs: The Isauros Family**

 _For centuries, the Kingdom of Valla, and its successor state, the Kingdom of Haven were ruled over by the Isauros dynasty._

 _Originally a tribe that made its home in the small Isauria Valley (where the so-called 'Bottomless Canyon was located) between the Commonwealth of Duchies (what would in later years form into the Kingdom of Nohr) and the fledging Hoshidan Rice Kingdoms, the Isaurian Tribe were contacted by a benefactor, the Being contemporary scholars deduce was the Silent Dragon, Anankos, and were rescued from a great, world consuming war known as 'The Great Squabble'._

 _Frankly, calling it 'The Great Squabble' is perhaps the greatest understatement in recorded history. The war all but shaped the later landscape of southern Sigal, with the armies of various patron dragons fighting one another for supremacy. Countless minor cultures vanished into the pages of time, until only a handful remained._

 _It was during the reign of Chieftain, later King, Cadros of Isauria that the war, and Anankos' offer occurred. An intelligent man, uninterested with glory, Cadros saw that the only chance his people to survive was to take Anankos's offer. In another realm, its true, original name lost, they formed the Kingdom of Valla, named for the guise Anankos used in order to contact them, and soon, the Kingdom flourished._

 _Contrary to popular belief, it was not under Cadros that the Kingdom's greatest works were designed and built. Those occurred in the reign of Cadros's eldest child, Caleb I, The Builder. Castle Gyges, the formidable royal Palace was raised during his reign, and the first capital, Lygos, soon formed around it._

 _Save for the half dozen periods of Civil War and Succession Crises and the 'Phokas Usurpation', the Kingdom remained at peace, its Patron Dragon watching over them as their beloved deity._

 _Sadly, as History, harsh mistress she ever is, would prove, it was not to last._

 _-Excerpt from 'The Origins of Haven' by Irene Isauros_


	21. Chapter 21: War in chorus, Part 6

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

"GANGLARI, GUIDE MY BLOWS!"

With that, Morrison leapt into battle, aiming her blade to strike at the centre of the group, sending them scattering. She swung wildly towards Leo and Corrin, those she saw as the greatest traitors, barely paying attention to the Royal Blades and Niles.

Raijinto crashed against the cursed blade, sending sparks flying all over. Leo blasted at the demon-woman with his tome, and inspiration struck Corrin. A cruel, vicious thought that could work in his favour. What's more, it was so _deliciously Nohrian._

"Morrison!" Corrin thundered. "I challenge you, in the sight of the Dusk Dragon, to Single Combat!"

"Honourless heathens!" Came the spat response. "Why the hell would I trust trash like you to keep your word?!"

"Simple. Because even I have _some_ honour left. One on one. Gives you a better chance than if you took on all of us…"

"Corrin!" Leo hissed. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"The right thing. Something few people remember these days."

"Fine!" She roared. "But if anyone else interferes, all bets are off!"

The Havenite King grinned. "Agreed." He turned to face the others. "Back off, do not interfere."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Came the instant reply, at least from his own entourage.

"You're a lunatic, Corrin." Leo sighed. "But I'm clever enough to know not to try to stop you."

"Ready, Grand Marshal?"

"Ready, traitor?"

Corrin rolled his eyes, arced his arm back, and launched it forward. Now lance-like, the arm pierced her armour above one of her lungs.

"B….Bastard! Dishonourable bastard!"

"In war.." Corrin smiled as he threw Morrison's own rhetoric back at her. "There are no rules."

Morrison howled with rage, and hurtled toward the man who'd just brazenly assaulted her. Without missing a beat, Corrin swung his blade, driving it deep into one of her knees.

"Honour means nothing if it leads to defeat." Corrin smirked as he kept up quoting her. "The only honour worth fighting for is the honour of victory."

"SILENCE!"

"Honour is not an excuse for defeat." He quoted his last, and used his whip-like arm to cause the woman to tumble.

"….Im…possible.."

 _Arya._ The voice, long since her only companion since taking up Ganglari, entered her head now. _You lost.._

"No…No…I can still fix this!" The elder warrior's tone was desperate. "I SWEAR!"

 _You failed._ The voice said cruelly. _And that means….._

Arya Morrison let out a bloodcurdling scream, and was promptly torn apart by Ganglari's curse. Her corrupted veins all but exploding in a spray of inky black blood. Her armour tumbled down the stairs, splattering yet more fouled lifeblood as it went. When it landed at the bottom, the armour was empty, save for whatever blood remained inside. Her bones were gone, little more than ash washed away by the black tide.

"Bloody hell."

Leo rolled his eyes. "Really Niles? _That's_ the best you can come up with?"

The one eyed archer grinned. "Eh, it seemed fitting."

Morgan grinned. "I like him."

Corrin merely smiled as his brother protested at his retainer, crept up behind him, and crashed Raijinto's hilt down upon Leo's head. As the Nohrian Prince crumpled to the ground, Corrin bent down, and pulled Brynhildr from his grip.

"Sorry, brother." Corrin murmured. "….Tricked you." He turned to face his brother's retainer. "Niles, was it?"

The archer regarded the Havenite's leader with the same, near bored expression he had kept on his face for the entire fight. "Yes?"

"Get Leo out of here. We'll deal with Skald."

"What about your kid?" Niles scowled. "Don't you want to know where she is?"

"Does he _truly_ know where she is?"

Niles's eye narrowed, before he let out a quiet chuckle. "'course not. He's trying to trick you."

"Honesty? How refreshing."

"No point in lying." Niles offered with a shrug. "People get killed that way."

Corrin inclined his head in (almost) genuine respect as he, and his forces marched up the stairs. "Wise policy."

Corrin and his forces were at the doors, when Niles' voice stopped him.

"Hinoka."

The King stopped dead in his tracks, and glanced backward. "What?"

"Cana was with Hinoka last we knew. It ain't much, but I hope it's something."

"Thank you."

Corrin's voice was little more than a murmur, but it didn't matter. Niles heard him. He watched as the group entered the Cathedral, and soon, hauled his Lord up, and carried him down the stairs.

"…Where the hell is Odin?"

* * *

Lilith was struggling at her chains. She could hear the distant sounds of battle overhead, and she needed to be free. She'd be damned if her brother could be smug because he rescued her.

With one last, almighty tug, the chains broke. The Havenite Princess was free. Some chain remained on her cuffs, but it didn't matter.

She was _free._

"Hey! What's all that noise?!"

It was one of the acolytes. The woman's eyes widened as she realised that Lilith was loose. She drew her long knife, and went to enter the cell.

It was her last mistake.

Meanwhile, Skald was losing whatever remained of his sanity. It was dawning on him that his time was almost up.

"Corrin is here…" He hissed. "The traitorous filth…and the honourless, faithless scum who follow him….Oh, Dusk Dragon...why must you test us so?! Have we not been loyal?"

The Dragon Statue stand proudly over the altar offered no reply. The Head Priest let out a frustrated sigh, and stalked toward the doors.

"If you assumed Corrin was the only danger." Came an amused voice behind him. Now sat brazenly on the altar, smirking broadly, was his now former prisoner. "You are sadly mistaken."

"You? How-…GET OFF OF THE ALTAR, HEATHEN!" Skald all but exploded with rage.

Lilith merely allow her smirk to grow. "No. It's comfortable."

The Head Priest of the Dusk Dragon stalked down the main aisle, steadily picking up his speed so that, by the time he was halfway to the dragon woman, he was all but bolting as fast as his legs could go. He raised his gauntleted fist, to pummel at Lilith..

Only for the dragon woman to vault over the giant of a man, and looped what remained of her chain around his throat, and pulled him to his knees.

"Now, that's better, isn't it?" Lilith taunted. "I can no longer hear your irritating voice."

"Holy One!" Elise's voice, desperate and almost child-like, shattered the silence. Her hands gripped the hilt of what had once been her brother sword, Siegfried.

"Sister Elise! Kill the creature! _**NOW!"**_ Skald roared, only for Lilith to silence him with a sharp tug of her chain.

"I….I…..I'LL KILL YOU!" Elise roared, and dashed madly toward Lilith, struggling a little to raise her blade up to the correct height to strike. "N-NO ONE HARMS HIS HOLINESS!"

"I did." Lilith taunted.

"DIIIIE!"

Elise swung the blade with all her might, only for an almighty CLANG to ring out around the Cathedral.

"That's enough, Elise." Came Corrin's calm voice, Raijinto halting Siegfried's deadly progress. "It's over."

"No….NO _**NO!**_ " Elise screeched. "I-It can't be! We are the righteous! The Faithful! We should….MUST SUCCEED!"

Corrin's following backhand threw her to the ground, sending Siegfried slipping from her grip.

Whimpering, Princess Elise allowed herself to cry, curled up into a ball, her wails filled the halls, chilling the blood of those acolytes in the lower floors. Corrin had to force himself to maintain composure, and not try to help her. Thankfully, his loyal Knight offered a reprieve.

"What should we do with him?" Silas spat, allowing contempt to all but drown his voice. "What should we do with Skald?

Corrin regarded Skald, still at his sisters' mercy, for a few moments. "Lilith?" He said at last. "She was the one he captured and made suffer."

"Give him to Dorian." The Dread Fighter said after some mental debate. "See what he can make from him."

"Daaang. That's vicious, even for you, Lily." Morgan grinned.

"And Elise?" Molin asked as his King retrieved Siegfried.

Corrin let out a sigh as he walked toward the doors. "Leave her be."

"…My King?"

"…We've done enough to her."

* * *

 **Alright, I'm going to have to admit something to you all.**

 **I am, frankly, hitting a writer's block, at least when it comes to Darkhearts. Whilst I have** _ **no**_ **intent to stop writing Into The Darkness, I'm probably going to start working on a secondary project, if only to keep myself going and writing.**

 **So! Since I'm an indecisive bastard, I'll let you guys choose which you'd prefer.**

 **The two options are:**

 **Absence:** _As a single twist of fate leaves two families shattered, a long forgotten threat rears its head. But what happens when the world's fated hero lies dead?_

 **This would essentially be based in a world where Corrin died instead of Mikoto, and the fallout from said event.**

 **The other is:**

 **The Long Way Round:** _Hell-bent to save his family, Corrin gets creative, if he cannot save the world now, he'll save it in the past. No matter how far back he has to go._

 **In essence, this would have Corrin, after a Birthright and a Conquest run, use a deeprealm gate to travel back to either the Concubine Wars, or to the incident in Cheve (haven't really figured that one out yet, maybe even both.) and try and prevent the rise/empowerment of Anankos.**

 **I'll be running this via Strawpoll, link will be on my Profile page.**

 **EDIT: Okay, since Strawpoll seems to hate me, I've set up a poll on my FFNet Profile page. Said poll will be open for two weeks, so will close on the 24th of January (2017)**


	22. Chapter 22

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

Anna smiled as her King and his entourage walked into view. Her campsite was located in the woods outside of Dresden, the rune circle already drawn up. Her face slowly transformed into a scowl at the sight of Skald being dragged on a chain behind the King's sister.

The man was pale, deathly so. A very visible wound in his side. The Head Priest limped after Lilith slowly. His captors had weakened him a great deal via blood loss. They wanted to ensure that he was still whole when they gave him to Dorian.

They had also gagged him, since listening to him rant about how they suffer eternally for their crimes wasn't something they wanted to put up with.

"Who's this?" Anna asked, making no attempt to hide her contempt.

"This is Skald." Corrin scowled. "The Head Priest of the faith of the Dusk Dragon, soon to be Dorian's newest toy."

The redhead let out an awed whistle. "Daaaamn, he must really have pissed you off Boss."

"He did. Is the portal ready?"

"Of course!" She beamed. "Do you truly think I'd not have it ready for you?"

Corrin shot her a pointed look. "Need I remind you of the Beach Realm incident?"

"Oh come on! Are you telling me you _didn't_ enjoy the time with your wife?"

"Two weeks! With nothing to eat but coconuts and mango!" The King protested, much to the amusement of his retainers.

"And Az-"

"Don't even go there Morgan." He snapped with steadily reddening cheeks.

Morgan let out a bark of good natured laughter. "Oh relax. Even you deserve time off sometimes, Your Majesty."

Corrin sighed. "Just open the portal."

Anna stuck her tongue out, and ignited the circle.

Corrin stepped through first, and was soon followed by everyone else, their prisoner and prizes in tow.

Corrin had barely taken ten steps into the Babel Tower Palace before he was floored by something _blue._ In front of Royal Blades and Palace staff, Queen Azura hungrily kissed her husband. It took all of the King restraint not to take her there and then.

"Azura, Love. Not here."

"Where the _hell_ have you been?"

"Busy." He answered, standing up with his Queen in his arms. "We rescued Lilith, secured the weapons _and_ found a lead on Cana."

"Good….good.."

"Queenie!" The amused tones of Dorian Erised filled the ears of the group. "Oh! Your Majesty." The doctor took a bow. "Welcome home. Is that a gift, I see?"

Corrin blinked, before breaking into a grin. "Hope you don't mind working on religious types."

"Not at all!" The mad doctor chortled. "Everyone's flesh and bone!"

Skald offered no protest, now too weak to do anything other than hold himself up.

"Have at him them!" Lilith smiled.

Doctor Erised smiled at the man unsettlingly as he took the chain from Lilith. "Oh, you'll do nicely."

As the disgraced Priest was led away, Corrin turned to address his companions.

"We did well." He said. "Let's all…get some rest, hm? Let's show up late for work tomorrow."

This earned him a laugh, one he cheerfully joined in. "Dismissed!"

As the group filed out, one trio (Keaton, Kaden and Molin) headed for the Vellus District, the place Beastkin made their home. Morgan and Anna made a beeline for the nearest bar, and Silas, his arm around Lilith, quietly headed to Sophie's quarters to see his daughter.

The King and Queen shared a smirk, and bolted upstairs. To no ones great surprise, their chamber doors wre locked for some time.

* * *

Later that evening (much, much later), Corrin called two of his Royal Blade's to his study. The room was brightly lit, with various maps on the walls. The maps depicted of southern Sigal, (from Iskand Point in the south, to the Roof of the World Mountains in the north) and all of the Kingdom of Haven. Markers were spread across them, representing important figures. The Royal Blades, all of the Royal Families, and a number of other important people from across the continent.

There was a knock on the door.

"Enter."

The pair strode in, both wearing identical silver and blue armour, similar to what the king himself had once worn as a Prince of Nohr. They appeared identical, save for the side of their face their violet ponytails were draped over, and the fact one had an obvious (all be it modest) bosom.

The male grinned, and bowed flamboyantly. His companion, who had been idly toying with her hair, curtseyed. The twins had long since started to dye their hair (which was, in actuality, a rather ordinary brown), and both had clawed their way out of the gutters of Nestra, and, via Haven's Anna, come to the city. It had only taken four years for the both of them to rise to join the Royal Blades, after Gensei, the leader of the Hoshidan population of Haven, had stepped down, and another, one of the bandits, had been found guilty of a spree of murders and executed. It had been the twins that had caught him, and now stood as some of the most fanatical, and reliable followers (even if they were, as Morgan had phased it, " _Creepily close"._ ) Castor and Pollux weren't their real names, they had merely taken the names of the legendary twins that travelled across the sea with Iskander.

"Greetings!" They both exclaimed.

"Lady Castor, Lord Pollux." Corrin greeted. "I have an important mission for you. One I can only entrust to the two of you."

"We are honoured, My King." Pollux beamed. "We are at your service."

"How can we aid you?" His twin asked.

"You are to bring Princess Hinoka here." His answer was simple. "Alive and unharmed."

"….Is…that all?" Castor asked cautiously. "My King, it seems a trivial task…"

"One not suit to our…skills." Her twin agreed.

"You excel in violence, bloodshed and destruction. _That_ is precisely why I'm picking you. I need you to _burn a scar_ into the landscape. I need you to make it look like Hinoka is dead. I need you to do what you do best, and _wreak havoc."_

"That we _can_ do." Pollux grinned, a look soon matched on his siblings face.

"I _cannot_ stress this enough, Blades. _She is not to be harmed."_ Corrin commanded. "Hinoka may have been complicit in Cana's kidnapping, but she has been the one to look after her as her own. Her retainers lives are of little consequence, however.." A broad, cruel grin formed on his face, and his single red eye glinted, almost gleefully. "Consider them your… _reward."_

This was all the added incentive the pair needed.

"It will be done, My King." The twins said in unison, bowing respectfully.

They stood up departed. Their tones turned childishly murderous once out of earshot. They linked arms, and all but skipped out of the Palace.

"It would be our pleasure."

* * *

The following morning's court prattle was forcing Corrin steadily further into his throne. It wasn't that he did care, these _were_ his people after all. But not _one_ issue had been presented to him, so there he sat. On a somewhat uncomfortable throne listening to courtiers argue and discuss vague nonsense.

He was almost glad when the great doors were forced open, and a lone figure stalked in, a roll of cloth under one arm.

"Protect the King! Came a call from one of the guards, who began an advance on the intruder.

"I am no threat, Your Majesty." Came the intruders soft, careful tone.

"Who...exactly, are you?" The King asked.

The cloaked figure strode at a respectful pace toward Corrin.

"I am Emi, Your Majesty." The woman said as she knelt before the throne. She took the roll of cloth, and unfurled it. Gasps rippled across the room, as the sacred bow of Hoshido was revealed.

"I present the Fujin Yumi as proof of my skill, Good King. I humbly ask you admit me into your Royal Blades."

Corrin rose, and slowly stepped down to examine the bow. For five whole minutes, the throne room was as quiet as a crypt. The guards eyed the woman uneasily, and the assorted courtiers shot barely concealed glares towards her. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, their King broke the silence.

"How did you get this?" He asked quietly.

Emissary let out a soft chuckle. "I stole it, My King."

Corrin let out a howl of laughter. Every eye soon fell upon him, as every soul awaied his answer.

"Very well then, _Emi._ " He said finally. He offered the woman his hand, and helped her stand.

"Prepare the ceremony!"

* * *

 **For those that may have missed the update, the poll is now on my profile page. Ends on the 24** **th** **.**

 **As always, read and review, and thanks so much for your support!**


	23. Chapter 23

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

Later, in the afternoon, Corrin returned to his bedchamber, and sat on the side of the exquisite bed. Supposedly craved from a single block of dark wood a century or so ago, and had been…. _requisitioned_ by the Havenite Expeditionary Brigade from a Nestrian royal palace that had been abandoned a decade ago, along with a number of other treasures. The prizes had been paraded through the streets of Grandhaven, to the sound of cheering crowds. Now the bed, which had once played host to Nestrian Kings and Queens, now belonged to the Havenite Royals.

It was in this bed that the blue haired beauty that Corrin considered himself fortunate to call wife was lounging. She greeted him with a grin, and she sat up.

"I hope your plan will work, Love." He grinned. "Castor and Pollux will be most disappointed if they do not gain a new toy."

Azura waved a hand. "Hinoka's retainers will be most entertaining."

"How do you know they'll send Hinoka?" Corrin asked. "Why send a Royal at all?"

"Takumi is, as you've told me, a rebel and doesn't recognise Ryoma's authority. So he's out. Ryoma is lacking his sword arm, so he's out. Sakura…well, she _might_ be the one sent, but she's got little combat experience and prefers staying in the capital, so she is, most likely, out. Hinoka is a tried and tested battle commander. With the chaos Castor and Pollux will cause, Hoshido will be forced to send someone capable. In this case, Hinoka."

Corrin let out a laugh. "Clever, my love. Very clever."

"You know they're mad dogs, right? You won't be able to control them for long."

"I let them fight foes, fuck either one another or those they capture and cause chaos in Sigal. I don't _need_ to control them. Merely provide… _incentive._ "

"They…don't actually…with each other, I mean?"

The King shrugged. "No idea. Wouldn't surprise me. They _are_ mad dogs, after all."

"That's...creepy."

"We are cousins, are we not?" Corrin argued, maintaining a grin. "Some might consider a marriage such as ours.. _unnatural."_

"Royals have married cousin to cousin for centuries. It's nothing new."

His Queen slid out of bed, and slipped on a gown. "Well, I think it's time we went to lunch, no? The boys have missed you."

"And I missed them." Corrin said, truthfully. "My…. _Our_ sons are precious to me. _All_ of my family are worth more to me than our Kingdom."

"And look at the Kingdom _we've_ built for them, Love." Azura cooed. "The envy of the world."

Corrin shot her a conspiratorial grin. "We aren't in the world yet, Beloved."

"Soon though?"

"Soon."

* * *

The royal children sat in the dining hall, picking at the various meats and fruits that had been put on the table. Shigure was fond of grapes, so gleefully devoured as many as the young boy could stuff into his mouth. Caleb preferred the breads, fresh baked that morning in the royal kitchens.

Azura opted for an apple. Soon enough, as the children finished their meals, Azura stood up, and cleared her throat.

"I have a surprise for you boys." Azura told them with a smile. The woman turned, and nodded to a servant.

They opened the great doors, and a familiar man strode in, wearing what appeared to be rich merchant clothing. An eyepatch covered his left eye, made of dark leather, and his hair was kept wild and long.

"Papa!" Both boys cheered as they barrelled into their father, throwing their short arms around Corrin.

"Hey you two!" The King greeted them cheerfully as he embraced them.

"You were gone Papa." Shigure murmured sadly into his father's chest. Caleb remained silent, but kept hugging Corrin.

"I know. But I've got to do right by Haven." Corrin said warmly. "I have to do what must be done to protect it. I do what I must, to make it easier for you when _you_ inherit the Kingdom."

The great doors opened again, and the Teague branch of the royal family strode in. Silas had an arm around Lilith's waist, and help Sophie's hand with the other. The young girls' eyes lit up, and she dashed across the room.

"Uncle Corrin!" Sophie all but squealed as she ran into the hug. The King shifted around a little to accommodate her, and soon, the young girl was laughing happily along with her cousins.

"Hello Sophie, were you good for your Auntie Azzy?"

"Yes Uncle!" The girl beamed, and Corrin was inclined to believe her. The girl adored both himself, and her Aunt.

"Good…good..."

Corrin looked around the room, and smiled contentedly at the warmth, although it hid a sadness.

 _The only one missing is Cana._

The Havenite Monarch sighed, and ushered the children back to their seats. Now was not the time for sadness. They had a lead. After all these years.

They. Had. A. Chance.

* * *

The smoke, black and choking, curled ever skywards as the town burned. The screams had long since died down, all that remained was the crackling and creaking of burning beams. The soldiers had put up a valiant, if futile defence. It had entertained them well enough, but not for long.

The two psychotics giggled with glee as the corpse spasmed as Castor's axe embedded itself into its skull. Both were drenched in blood and ash. And both were in utter ecstasy.

"Did you see Brother?" Castor cheered. "How he twitches. So funny."

"Sweet sister." Pollux teased. "We have played such a symphony with this town. Are you telling me this corpse brought you more joy?"

"I require constant entertainment, Pol. You know that."

"Oh, I do Cas. I do."

The twins shared a smirk as they headed up the tallest building in the town, left alone on purpose. "So" Pollux began "Do you think Hinoka got our message?"

"Well.." Castor chuckled as she looked over the town square below. "I think that's how you spelt those words, Brother.."

The corpses below spelt out a message, one that only a Sky Knight or Wyvern Rider could read. Three simple words that would horrify any who could read it, save those it was written by.

 **SEND US HINOKA.**


	24. Chapter 24

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

Owain sighed as his _gracious_ host poured out another cup of tea for him. Whilst he was grateful for her hospitality, he had not yet seen hide nor hair of his daughter as he had been promised. Three days of no sleep had finally taken its toll, and his patience had ran out.

And he still had not seen that familiar ginger haired woman again.

"Sugar?" The cheerful woman asked. His host wore many smiles, most, if not all, were fake. She teased and taunted, keeping her voice in the same playful tones. "… _Prince_ Owain."

"…I…have told you 'yes' the last few cups we shared, Mi'lady."

"It is far more pleasant now you've ceased with the performance you put on." She smirked. "You are far more tolerable as Owain than Odin. No more of this 'Fel Hand' nonsense."

"…I meant no offence." Owain responded, old etiquette lessons with Sir Fredrick floating to the forefront of his mind. "I had not, after all, expected to meet any of the 'Fel Line' in Nohr."

"Offence? Dear boy, I am _far_ too old to be taking offence of anything." Merry smiled, the look in her eyes somehow infinitely older than her appearance.

There was a rapping at the bakery door, and the other resident of the building was soon striding in, avoiding eye contact with Owain, even as the Mage's eyes fell upon her.

Emissary knelt before the Divine Mother. "I have been permitted to join the Royal Blades. The first Eleventh Blade. Corrin has taken the Fujin Yumi and given it to the Ministry of Magi-Science Research. I do not yet know for what purpose. The Induction Ceremony will take place in two days' time."

"Ah! Emi!" Merry beamed. _"Owain_ and I were taking tea. Care to join us? You can tell us all about it."

"…If it pleases you, Mistress."

"Noire?" Owain asked, stunned. "It's you, isn't it?"

"Oooh…someone recognises you, Emi."

Emi shot Odin a cold glare that dripped with self-loathing. "I am Emi. Noire Di Julius-Juliana is dead. She died forgotten and abandoned and unmourned by her liege lady and her country. She died a traitor, unloved as all traitors deserve."

Owain's eyes widened in shock. "Noire, what happened to y-"

"EMI!" She screamed. "I AM EMI!"

"It seems then..." Merry smiled, almost apologetically. "That you were mistaken, Prince Owain Lowell."

"I will not listen to some baker." Owain spat. "I would have the truth from you Noire!"

"Do not insult her! She is the Divine Mother." Emissary thundered. "Be in awe, Prince. You are in the presence of the Daughter of the Fel Dragon."

Owain paled. "W-What?!"

"Well.." Merry interrupted. " _Technically_ I'm not. I'm the daughter he had whilst he was still the Dragon of Family."

Emissary took to a knee. "Of course Mistress. Utmost apologies."

"Rise, silly girl."

The archer stood, and walked to the doorframe, taking up her vigil.

Owain sighed, weariness settling in. "You are Grima's child? His actual one, not a child of his Avatar?"

"Clever boy."

"Just answer me."

"In a sense I am." She answered, still smiling. "And in another, I am _not."_

"Meaning?"

"Do you _truly_ think that Grima was born with that name, Owain Lowell?" Merry asked, wielding his real name as a knife. "Who would give their child such a….depressing name? He was born, as everyone is, to a Mother. He sought peace, and was murdered by fanatics. His…resurrection at my hands drove him a smidge mad, sadly."

"Grima was…not always destructive? Evil?"

"Oh please. _No one_ is born evil or a monster." Merry teased, as though lecturing a child. "Just look at our dear majesty, King Corrin. He was a sweet child. Kind enough to not hold hatred for the Nohrian royal children, to accept a fallen Noble and two Ice Tribe Girls. A truly nice boy. Then that _whelp_ Anankos' had his servant, Garon drive him mad. Drove him to run, find our _dear_ Queen and the rest…is history."

"Did you 'help' that along?" Owain asked in a blunt. "It _is_ what Grima would have done."

A sly grin found its way onto Merry's face. "No. Not this time, at least. Whilst it _was_ tempting to create my own entertainments, I didn't even need to lift a _finger._ Corrin did all of this himself. I'm almost impressed."

Before Owain could speak, Merry stood up.

"It is time we fulfilled our promise, dear Emi."

"Mistress?"

The Divine Mother turned to look at the displaced Prince. She smiled indulgently.

"Time to meet Ophelia."

* * *

Rinkah lent against the balcony overlooking her village. Her people looked at peace. Nori and his family were building a new home, and most of the villagers were pitching in to help. In all honesty, the building would likely be up before the day was out. Her people might not be as elegant or powerful as other nations, but they were nothing if not efficient, with a sense of teamwork unrivalled by any other country in southern Sigal.

A scout dashed into the Main Square, catching her attention. He crossed the Square without so much as a glance to what the rest of his Tribe were doing and ran right up to the door to her home. After a few moments, she heard him being led inside.

"Chief." Came a voice behind her. It was her assistant and housekeeper, Cina. "One of our scouts has re-"

"Returned from the southern border. I know."

The assistant raised an eyebrow. "…How did you know?"

"Cina, I _do_ recognise all of my Tribe." Rinkah replied with a grin. "Send Ash in."

Cina blinked, and chuckled. "Yes, Chief."

A moment or so later, the exhausted

"Ash, sit down before you fall down."

"Chief Rinkah." The scout bowed. "The Hoshidan army under Prince Takumi are amassing at the edge of our land. We believe-"

"That they intend to invade." Rinkah finished. "It is a tad obvious, cousin."

"Yes, Chief."

She watched her daughter playing with Kana below, and let out a weary sigh.

"Get a message to Hayato. Tell him to come collect the children and the elderly." She ordered in a quiet voice. "And call the Priests up the mountain and let them know."

"…Are you certain, Chief?"

With the warning the Flame Spirit gave her at the forefront of her mind, Rinkah nodded.

"Yes. I'm certain cousin."

Ash nodded, and left her alone. A few moments later, she wheeled round, and slammed her fist into the wall of her home.

"This conflict will cost us our home. But I'll be damned to the deepest pits of hell before I allow my people to die."

She scowled, and lowered her arm.

"This I swear."

* * *

Overlooking the city of Haven, in the Royal quarters of Babel Tower, the dark haired ruler of the Kingdom was reading the royal children a story, 'The Tales of Gregor'. It was a collection of stories brought over by the Plegians, and had proved most popular with children. Corrin enjoyed all of the small 'family moments' like this. Here, he didn't need to be a King, or a warrior, or a commander. Here, he was just a Father (and an Uncle) reading to his much loved sons, niece and (at Shigure's insistence) Ophelia.

"-and with one last almighty heave, Gregor hauled the boulder out of the way, allowing for the river to flow hard and fast again. The life giving waters flooded the old riverbed, bringing normality back to the land. The villagers happily rewarded him, and the great adventurer, as always, returned to the road. Eager for his next adventure."

Corrin snapped the book shut, and smiled at the looks at awed looks on the children's faces.

"The end."

"Yay! Gregor's so cool!" Caleb cheered. Shigure and Sophie happily joined in. Corrin suppressed the urge to chuckle

There was a knock on the door, and the Lady of the Mint walked in.

"You summoned me, Your Majesty?" Anna's voice filled his office.

"Ah yes.." Corrin smiled. He turned to address the Royal Children. "Run along little ones. You do not wish to listen to this, it'll be boring."

"Okay!" The children giggled as they dashed off, waving enthusiastically at the redhead as they left. Anna offered a polite wave in return, before slowly closing the door behind her.

"Cute." The Merchant commented with a grin, before she turned to Corrin. "My King?"

"Anna. I have a question for you, if I may." He asked, as he headed for his desk.

"I live to serve my King."

"How much of that 'Portal Dust' can you acquire? In the next week or so?"

"It does have a proper name you know." She teased as she took a seat, relaxing.

"I cannot pronounce it." Corrin admitted, waving a hand. "How much?"

"Ten barrels? Fifteen if I push my family."

"Do so. I need _as much_ as you can get." Corrin commanded. "And I mean it, Anna. I don't want some half-assed effort on this one. I need the most you can get."

Anna grinned broadly. "This is gonna be good, isn't it?"

"We're going the steal something." Came the reply. "Something _big."_

"How big are we talking?"

A smirk appeared on Corrin's face.

"We're going to steal the Northern Fortress."


	25. Chapter 25

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

Anna stared at Corrin for a full ten seconds, before bursting into loud cackles. She laughed and laughed and laughed…..until she saw Corrin's face.

"Oh gods, you're serious?"

"Very." Came is simple response.

"But _why?"_

"To prove it can be done."

"That's it? To prove it's possible? Sorry your Majesty, I doubt that that is the extent of your plan."

"Anna." Corrin addressed her. "If we can move the Northern Fortress here, we can move _Grandhaven_ into Sigal."

Anna's eyes lit up, and her expression turned serious. "We're at that stage?"

" _If_ it works, yes."

"You put a lot of faith in 'if', Corrin." The King didn't react to her using his real name, she had long since earned that right. "People might think you're crazy."

"Maybe I am." Conceded the King, before he smiled. "But hey, I've got us this far."

"True enough." Anna smiled, and relaxed into her chair. The more she thought about it, the funnier the absurdity of it all became.

"Something wrong?" Inquired Corrin.

"The Northern Fortress…" The redhead descended into another fit of giggles. "Where the hell are you going to _put_ it?"

The King only grinned. "I have a few ideas."

* * *

The trio donned hooded cloaks, and stepped out into the street. It was bustling with life, with merchants shouting over the din as they flogged their wares.

The various smells of the markets melded into one. 'The Spirit of Haven', its residents had described it. Owain found it warm, with spices mixing with sweet incense and smoke from roasting fires.

"There." Merry pointed out. She was gesturing across the square. Ophelia's silvery locks stood out amongst the crowd. She was with two others. One he didn't recognise, her dark hair cascaded down her back, and she wore an affectionately bemused expression on her face. The mystery woman muffled a laugh behind her hand, and turned to talk to the other person.

All it took was a flash of red hair for Owain to recognise him.

"Marc." He hissed. "Why is he there? Where's her mother?!"

"I promised Ophelia, not Morgan." The older woman pointed out bemusedly. "As to why Marc has been entrusted with her care, she's his _niece."_

"Why would she trust him? _After what he did?!_ "

"I don't know, it's something mortals 'do'. I'm not exactly thrilled with what he did either. Do you know how _long_ it took to build Plegia up?"

Owain ignored her, and slowly stalked towards the group, only to get himself lost in the throng. He forced his rage down as best he could, as he looked around, trying to find her again.

But Owain remained so angered, he didn't even notice when a something small crashed into his legs. He glanced down, and was met by his own murky blue eyes.

Ophelia Di Owain stumbled back a few steps and dusted herself off. "Ouchie."

"A-Are…you okay?"

"Sorry Mister!" The young girl chirped, offering an apology, before happily skipping off to her Uncle. Marc shot him an apologetic look, one Owain waved off with a smile, his hood obscuring his face. Without even another glance, the Tactician kept walking, his other companion soon joining him. Merry and Emi walked up behind him, Merry wore a faint grin on her face.

"She's beautiful." He whispered.

Merry chuckled. "Indeed. I'm almost proud my descendant has turned out so well. Especially considering her blood is a mix of the Fel and Exalted lines."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh please." Merry let out a bored sigh. "In every world I've seen, a hybrid such as her _always_ causes endless destruction. In fact, in one case, the hybrid in question _destroyed the world._ "

Owain sighed "And how long have you lived, hm?"

"Didn't your Mother ever tell you it's rude to ask a woman their age?" Merry grinned. "But to answer your question, I stopped counting at ten thousand."

The Mages jaw dropped as he tried to process the information.

Merry twirled around, and smirked. "And now, our business is concluded."

"W-Wait? What?! What do you mean?!"

"What were my _exact_ words? Meet her. You've met her. Our deal is done." Merry grinned cruelly. "You, _Prince_ Owain Lowell, are on your own."

With a mere clap of her hands, Owain's mind went blank, his eyes glazed over and, in the middle of the market, he fell flat on his face, unmoving on the cobbles.

"Insufferable brat."

Emi raised an eyebrow. "What did you do to him, Mistress? If you do not mind my asking?"

"I…may have manipulated his memories. All of this, will all seem like some fever dream." Merry grinned. "He'll be found by the guards…or by some poor schmuck, it doesn't matter. He'll be in Havenite custody soon enough. Humans, so predictable."

"You sound like you revile us, Mistress."

"You are nothing like them, my dear pet." Merry cooed affectionately, and caressed Emi's cheek for a few moments. The archer didn't react, save for a slight reddening of her cheeks. "Humanity doesn't deserve you."

"Forgive me….it sounds like you revile _them_ Mistress.."

"No actually, Humanity rather impresses me." Merry said wistfully as she led her faithful servant down the street. "They're so physically weak, so short-lived. It pushes them to create, to conquer, to challenge the very heavens themselves! To expand the borders of their Kingdoms and Empires and expand the depths of what is possible both magically and scientifically."

A wicked cackle left her mouth as the pair reached the bakery they called home.

"And they are so _amusing_!"

* * *

The village was tiny, barely a speck on the map. Nestled in the peaceful hills in eastern Hoshido, its residents enjoyed an all-round quiet existence. True, bandits had sometimes attacked, but the guards easily saw them off most of the time. In time, the village became one of the better defended in the area, with walls and gates surrounding it.

Traders and travellers often visited, and the people were surprisingly well off. This was the way the two newcomers arrived.

This was how the village brought its own end upon itself.

Both of the newcomers wore armour underneath their plain brown cloaks. They kept their hoods up, obscuring their faces. They never strayed far away from one another. If another person came near them, they might have seen a lock of violet hair.

"Excuse me, Little One." One of the cloaked figured knelt down to face the child. Their voice was a curious mix of emotions that the child had never heard together. It sounded like They were amused by an in-joke between Themself and their companion. "Can you tell me which of these buildings is the tallest, by any chance? Or, even better, can you tell me the tallest building in the village?"

So the child, raised to respect guests and value hospitality, pointed it out for Them. They tossed the child a few coins, and tousled their hair, before both They and their companion headed toward the building the child had pointed out.

"That was cruel sister, giving the boy hope like that…you _know_ what his fate will be." Their companion grinned. "Are you developing a soft spot, Cas?"

"Oh come now Pol. You know as well as I do, if you give a man hope, it makes the death all the more _sweet and satisfying._ When beautiful hope gives way to delicious despair, is where no finer feeling than that? _"_

Pollux let out a loud, thoroughly amused laugh, and looped an arm around his sisters' shoulders. "Hehe…oh Sister, you have such a way with words.."

"Flatterer."

"You know it."

Castor sighed. "So, what's our plan?"

Pollux nodded at the village's shrine. Its spire creeping into the sky. "Get to the bell at the top. It'll give us quite the vantage point."

Castor's eyes widened, before breaking into a smirk. "Dearest brother, I think you're onto something."

The shrine itself was markedly different to many of the other Dawn Dragon Shrines. This was due to the fact that, several centuries prior, a heretical movement had arisen in the area. It had preached that the Dusk and Dawn Dragon were one and the same. It had become quite popular in the poorer regions. Somewhat unsurprisingly, Hoshido had cracked down _hard,_ all but removing the heresy from history. But instead of destroying the frankly beautiful building, the Dawn Priests simply 'redecorated' it. The main difference between it and regular shrines was that, due to it not being elevated, one had to walk up a set of stairs to reach the ceremonial bell, a colossal jade construct that overlooked the village.

The duo weren't the only ones in the shrine, its attendants flitted about, talking and tending to visitors. They made their way up the steps to the bell, and, ignoring it completely, looked out over the village.

"Well then." The two dark knights shared a grin, and removed tomes from their cloaks, allowing them to crumple to the floor. They raised their hands, aiming them at the village. "Let us rain death down upon them!"

"LET NONE BE SPARED BY OUR **ARCFIRE!"**

* * *

 **And the results of the poll are in. The winner is:**

 **The Long Way Round.**

 **The first chapter should be up by the end of the month, hopefully. Thanks to all that voted, and thanks for your support as always.**


	26. Chapter 26

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

When Hinoka and her retainers arrived at the village, it was already aflame. Ryoma had sent Reina along with them for added protection, just in case. It had been a wise move. The village was one of the better defended in the area, with walls and gates surrounding it.

Tragically, that which had protected the village, also imprisoned it.

Over the past week or so, reports had come in from the fringes of the Kingdom. Villages being put to the torch, their residents slaughtered and positioned in the same three word message.

 **SEND US HINOKA**

Just as Azura had predicted, Hoshido was more than happy to oblige them, sending Hinoka in to assess the situation. She had been apprehensive, likening it to walking into a trap, but when the alternative ended up being her much loved sister, Hinoka had agreed to go.

They had seen the smoke from the fires miles away.

The choking fumes forced the Princess and Reina to leave their mounts outside the town, and venture in on foot.

The scene that greeted them made Hinoka want to vomit. Bodies littered the streets, and the air was filled by smoke and the moans of the dying.

In the main square, the now usual, grotesque message was displayed. As was now routine, the tallest building, the shrine, was left unscathed.

"Are you two sure both of you should be here?" Hinoka asked her retainers, partly out of curiosity, and partly to put the hellscape around her a little further out of her mind.

"Mitama will sleep all day and try to cuddle Hana." Setsuna said with remarkable seriousness. "She'll be fine. You need us here, Lady Hinoka."

Azama nodded his agreement. "My Sun is correct. Our daughter is safe. Our place is here."

Hinoka smiled, almost embarrassed. "Th-Thanks, both of you."

"Princess." Reina addressed her. The Kinshi Knight pointed upward towards the jade bell.

Lounging on the balcony were two figures. Both free showed their faces, and wore armour showcasing the fact that both of them were Dark Knights. One was obviously a male, the other female. They appeared to be siblings, probably twins even.

Both wore bloodthirsty sneers on their faces.

Without prompting, Reina stalked into the main square, brandishing

"In the name of Hoshido, I demand you identify yourselves!" Reina thundered, her voice clear and intimidating despite her surroundings.

The male twin raised an eyebrow as he looked the woman over. He could already tell his Sisters thoughts. This Knight, whoever they were, appeared to be a worthy opponent. If there was one with Castor _loved_ (aside from him), it was a challenging foe.

"I am Castor." Pollux glanced at his sibling. "This is my brother, Pollux."

"Did you do this?!" Hinoka demanded, striding up to stand by Reina.

"Yep!" Castor all but chirped.

"Hello, 'Noka. I see you got our messages." Pollux greeted cheerfully from above before the redhead could respond. "You don't mind if we call you 'Noka, do you? No? Good."

"It took you long enough." Castor whined. "We were about to move onto the next village. This place just isn't _fun_ anymore. How many is it now, Pol?"

"This is only the fourth, Cas." Pollux chided good-naturedly.

Huh? Really…..feels like more.." His sister pondered, before returning her attention to the group below. "Your brother, his glorious Majesty, King Corrin, wishes to extend to you an invitation."

Her brother bowed, in his usual mockingly respectful manner. "This invite cannot be refused. If you resist, we will beat you into the dirt, brutalise your retainers, and drag you to him in chains….after we've have our….aheh… _fun."_

"But Pol, the King said not to harmf her.."

"Ah, sweet Cas, we'll blame it on bandits. We'll even cut out her tongue to keep her quiet."

"Genius." The woman let out a whistle. "Genius…anywho, what's your answer, 'Noka?"

Disgust crept into the Princess's gut, and she scowled. "Go to hell."

The twins shared a vicious grin.

"We hoped you'd say that…"

* * *

"When will you be back Papa?" Kaze looked at the heartbroken look on his daughters face and sighed inwardly. He bent down, and hugged his beloved child. Midori. She was one of the two sources of joy he had here in Haven. The greatest gift his wife, Minister Mozu, had ever given him.

"Soon Midori." He replied sadly. "I've got to do something for his Majesty. Something vitally important. Be a good girl and I'll be home as soon as I'm done."

He stood up, and started for the door.

"Papa?" His daughter's voice was quiet, timid.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Y-You are coming back, right?"

Kaze frowned a little. "Of course I am."

The young girl fumbled around the small backpack she constantly carried. After a minute or so of searching, she produced a small bag of herbs, which she held up to Kaze.

"Hm? What's this?"

"Medicine!" The brown haired girl smiled sadly. "S-So you don't get hurt!"

Mentally noting to check what herbs were in the mix before he consumed it, he packed it away, affectionately kissing her forehead.

"That's my little genius."

He was met at the door by Mozu, still dressed in her brown ministerial robes.

Her appointment to Minister had confused a great many people. What did some peasant farmer know about running a country? But the young woman had proven them wrong. She had an intimate knowledge of _how_ to grow food efficiently and meet demand, _how_ to distribute said food amongst the populace.

She'd even learnt to read!

"Mozu…" His voice was quiet. "You know I have to do this.."

The Havenite Minister simply held his gaze. "I know. Come home safe, Suzukaze. I don't want 'dori growing up Fatherless."

"That is the last thing I want." Kaze admitted. "I'll be careful."

"No, consider it an order." Mozu grinned. "I have people after all."

The green haired ninja couldn't help himself. He let out a loud, happy laugh as he embraced his wife.

"Understood love."

* * *

"I'm not a doll, Ry." Scarlet scowled as the Hoshidan King pushed her wheelchair into place next to the throne.

"Sorry…" Ryoma grinned. "But you know I prefer doing this myself."

"I'm not helpless! I can do it myself!" Came her inevitable protest. "How the hell do you even manage with one arm?!"

Ryoma chuckled as he headed to sit. "With difficulty."

Before he could even sit down, the doors to the throne room were pushed open, and a cadre of royal guards marched in, Lord Kobayashi at their head. The old soldier had risen to be one of the foremost strategists in the Kingdom, but even he liked to get his hands dirty once in a while.

He was also the one that had organised the evacuation of Cheve during the failed rebellion, so got on well with Scarlet, even considering the younger woman something of a daughter, despite her Chevois heritage.

"Your Majesties, forgive the intrusion."He bowed "But this could not wait."

Ryoma seated himself on the throne and waved a hand, forcing back no small degree of frustration over the interruption. "Go on."

The guards parted, revealing two figures. A mother and child.

"…Is that…Oboro?"

"Yes, your Majesty." Kobayashi explained. "She and young Kiragi arrived at the gates of the Palace this morning."

Oboro looked utterly broken. Her once stunning blue hair was now streaked with grey, matted and seemingly uncared for. Her clothes were shabby, torn and faded. She appeared dangerously thin, as did the child she kept close to her side.

"P-Please.." The broken woman begged. "Help me…"

All eyes were on her as she made her plea.

"H-Help me save L-Lord Takumi!"

* * *

Selena awoke with a start and looked around.

She wasn't in Camilla's room anymore. She wasn't nestled in her lovers' arms with Beruka the other side.

No, she was in a field of endless, windswept grass, under a cloudless blue sky.

Standing beside her, looking resplendent in his Grandmaster's Coat, was someone that looked _a lot_ like her father.

"It's time." He said with a smirk. "Time to embrace destiny."

"Da-...Grima. You have _no_ right to wear my fathers face like that!"

An almost hurt expression crossed Grima's face.

"I see." He said, and before Selena's eyes, Grima changed. Gone was her fathers coat, and in its place was a simple, white kāṣāya. His hair grew long, down passed his shoulder blades, and his face settled into a strangely serene expression.

"Will this suffice?" He asked calmly.

"..Who...how..whe- I give up." Selena let out a tired sigh.

"I will show you everything." He explained. "From the beginning."

He kept smiling, despite her glaring.

"I will show you how Absolom became Grima."

* * *

 **Fun fact: Kāṣāya are the robes worn by Buddhist monks.**


	27. Chapter 27

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

The throne room was full to bursting with Havenites. All had come to watch the induction of Emi into the Royal Blades. The room was full of general hubbub, countless people having countless conversations.

The King was upon his throne, looking resplendent in his Royal armour. His coiled gold and silver crown sat upon his dark hair, and his eye darted around the crowds. At his side was his much beloved Queen, once more in her alabaster gown.

Flanking the throne were most of the Royal Blades;

Silas looked like a knight straight out of stories. His armour shone, and he rested his gauntleted hand on the hilt of his service sword. The First amongst the Blades kept a small smile on his face, and resisted the urge to wave to his daughter.

Morgan wore her silver locks in an intricate braid, and her relatively light armour had been scrubbed clean. The Dark Rider lent against her lance, and her usual grin only grew as she observed the room. The Second amongst the Blades glanced at her brother, his hand in Nyx's, and a burst of happiness filled her chest. Of all the people she knew, Marc deserved some joy most of all.

Keaton and Kaden had opted for their usual casual clothing, but they had at least washed and cleaned. Contrary to their fellows, the Third and Fourth Blades were waving happily to the crowd, who were more than happy to wave back. The pair were widely seen as the two most approachable of the Blades, and, consequently, were often turned to by the Havenite peoples to bring issues to the King.

Molin looked surprisingly uneasy. The taguel squire kept shooting cautious glances towards Corrin, and was obviously trying to fight fidgets. The Fifth Blade was adored by the common folk, mainly due to his youth. But many respected his authority as the King's own squire.

Mordred stood tall and proud, rolling his shoulders. His shoulderguard irritated him a little, but he was definitely appreciative of the chance to relax and put any thoughts of Faceless from his mind. The Sixth Blade let out a sigh, and rested on his greatsword.

Castor and Pollux, the Seventh and Eighth Blades, were in Hoshido, hunting down Hinoka. Privately, Mordred was thankful for this, as the twins had an unfortunate habit of getting stabby in big crowds.

Kaze, the Ninth Blade, had slipped out of the Kingdom to find Cana. Due to the wide knowledge of the fact he was connected to the kidnapping of the Havenite Princess, Suzukaze was disliked, _immensely._

The Tenth amongst the Blades stood with his arms crossed. Publicly, only his name was known, _Loki._ He stood unmoving with a stern expression on his face. His features revealed that he hailed from the Ice Tribe, but little else. Many people didn't even know that the tenth 'slot' of the Blades was even occupied.

Corrin rose from the throne, and cleared his throat. He glanced to Azura, and smiled before he turned to the crowds.

"My subjects!" His voice silenced any other conversation as it echoed throughout the chamber. "It is my extreme honour to have you all in my home on this day!"

He stepped down the steps to the throne, closer to the crowds. "We are here today to induct a new member to the Royal Blades!"

A cadre of soldiers marched into the throne room, and stepped aside to reveal Emi. The archer stepped forward. She wore simple leather armour, and carried a white wood bow with one hand. Almost every eye fell upon her, making her feel uncomfortable.

"This woman has proven her loyalty and dedication to our home. She braved the hostile lands of Hoshido, and stole their legendary weapon, the Fujin Yumi!"

Wild cheers erupted throughout the room, and they carried on as she strode down the aisle to meet the King.

"My Lady Emilia." Corrin spoke carefully, despite the fact he got her name unknowingly wrong. "Please kneel."

The archer did, offering her bow up to Corrin. The King took it, as was the tradition.

"Emilia. Do you swear, in sights of Gods and Men, to not abuse the powers of the office we bestow you?"

"I so swear." Emi kept her voice calm, and as loud as she dares.

"Do you swear, in sights of Gods and Men, to protect the Havenite Peoples?"

"I so swear."

"….And do you swear, in sights of Gods and Men, and upon your own life, to keep the secrets revealed to you?"

"….I so swear, your Majesty."

Corrin nodded, and turned to face the current Blades. "Royal Blades! Do you accept this woman amongst your ranks?!"

One by one, the Blades stood at attention, offering their acceptance.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

With a single nod, the King showed his acknowledgement. He offered Emi her bow back, once she had taken it back, Corrin began speaking again.

"My lords, my ladies. It is my pleasure to introduce Lady Emilia, Eleventh Royal Blade!"

The cheers that followed dwarfed the earlier ones. Emi stood up, and faced them. Merry caught her eye. The woman was smiling victoriously.

Despite the fact she had sworn to follow her, Emi couldn't help but shiver.

It took an hour or so, but the crowds dispersed. The Blades had all come and offered their congratulations (Morgan had actually recognised her, but had kept quiet. Everyone was entitled to their own secrets, after all)

"There is one tradition Emi here needs to partake in." A dark grin formed on Morgan's face, one soon matched on the faces of her fellow Blades.

"Oh yes _."_ Mordred cackled. "This _will_ be fun…"

* * *

"CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!"

The Royal Blades roared with good natured laughter as the ginger haired archer valiantly tried to down a yard of ale in one go. To the utter surprise of all, the archer managed it, to the absolute howling laughter of her new fellows.

The tavern they occupied was small, located in the Free District that surrounded the Babel Tower. It was the main ring of the city. Whilst most of the varying peoples had their own districts, with their own markets, schools and guards regiments, the Free District had most of what Anna had described as 'the touristy things'. It was little surprise that this was were the 'Deeprealm Terminal' building was located, on the woman's own instruction.

"Hah! I knew you had it in you!" Morgan grinned, patting the archer on the back.

"….T-Thank you.." Emi panted. "Too much ale."

Keaton smirked a little. "We all managed it."

"Everyone but Loki." Kaden pointed out. "He didn't bother."

Emi, despite the ale, was admittedly intrigued. "What's his story anyway?"

"We don't talk about him." Silas hurriedly said "Better that way."

"Alright!" Morgan proclaimed, in a bid to move the conversation away from their mysterious colleague. "Mordred, you in for the contest?"

"W-Wait! Contest?!" Emi spluttered. "W-What contest?!"

"The drinking contest."Morgan beamed as she covered Emi's mouth. "Hush now."

"Sure." He grinned. "What's the worst that could happen?"

* * *

Sometime, much later, Mordred collapsed into the comfy armchair in Felicia's office. He fell asleep within moments, completely unaware of how he had got there.

"Mordred are you in-….here."

Commander Felicia of the City Guard rolled her eyes as she watched the Royal Blade as she forced back a laugh.

Felicia let out a sigh…..before hurriedly looking around. Confident that it was safe, she locked her door, and giddily crossed her room. The former maid carefully manoeuvred herself onto is lap, and wrapped his arm around her. Finally comfortable, she slowly allowed herself to join her lover in the land of nod.

She'd ask about the dress in the morning.


	28. Chapter 28

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

 _ **"Arcfire!"**_

Hinoka barely had time to defend herself as she threw herself aside, out of the way of the blasts of fire from above. It scattered the four Hoshidan warriors, and allowed the twins time to jump down and draw their blades.

"Now. We will offer one more time." Pollux announced. "If you refuse, we will kill _him_ first." The Knight pointed at Azama. "Then her." He moved his finger to Reina. "Before we kill that pretty archer of yours. Then we will strip you nude, clap you in chains, and drag you through the streets of Haven as a trophy."

Hinoka simply glared at him.

"Oh well, I tried….Sister? All yours." Pollux grinned, and gestured to Castor. She grinned, and threw herself towards Reina, eager for a good fight. She swung her blade wildly toward the Kinshi Knight, who caught her blade with her naginata.

"Come on! More! Give me more!" The swordswoman roared gleefully. "I haven't had a good fight in _far too long!"_

Reina allowed a faint grin to form on her face. Despite the hellscape around her, she could appreciate a good opponent.

"As you wish!"

Steel clashed against steel in a storm of unadulterated bloodlust, as the two women tried to slice each other into bloody ribbons. Reina, older, more experienced, but slower, kept Castor on the offensive, awaiting the single chance she needed to drive her weapon into her attacks chest. Castor fought like a rabid beast, matching every attempt to strike with her own strength, unhindered by the choking clouds around them.

Reina thrust forwards, her weapon ripped open a wound in the side of Castor's armour, and the violet haired warrior let out a howl of near ecstatic pain. She stumbled back, holding her wound.

"G-Gods! You are something, aren't you?" She grinned, letting out a cackle. Without warning, she bolted toward her foe, getting close. With a flurry of blows, Castor's blade cut Reina's war naginata into three. She swung her boot into the elder woman's chest, sending her tumbling into cinders. The old warrior was silent, unmoving, but breathing.

"Know what lady? I'm gonna let you live." Castor declared, panting heavily. "Good, entertaining opponents are so very few and far between."

A warcry filled the air, as Hinoka entered the fray, her fighting style as far more acrobatic and sure than Reina's, but it was evident, even to Castor, that she hasn't had to fight on foot for sometime. She shot a look to her brother, and knew it was only a matter of waiting, so she toyed with her, slipping out of the way to stabs and slashes whilst in an almost bored manner throwing slashes at the Princess to keep her focus on her..

Pollux, whilst his sister fought against the Hoshidan Princess, was toying with the Princess's retainers, sending off blasts of arcfire towards them both, adding to the choking smoke and flames. Setsuna didn't let up with her storm of arrows whilst her companion and husband kept her healed as the fires still roared strong.

Pollux wasn't a fool. Whilst he did appreciate and enjoy a good fight, they had already wasted so much time. Azama was both the enemy's greatest asset, and its greatest weakness.

So he ran, blasting the oncoming arrows to cinders as he darted behind the priest, bathing his spine in glorious, golden arc fire. Azama screamed as the smell of his own roasting flesh hit his nose. He tried to run, only to feel the cool, numb bite of steel against his neck. Azama, his back awash with agony, cast his last spell. It did little to heal the damage, but dulled his pain. If he was to die, he'd at least go with some grace.

"Do you believe in the afterlife, Priest?" Pollux hissed, as he held his blade against his foes throat.

"…I don't think this is the time to be making enemies…" Azama jested nervously. His attacker let out a bark of laughter.

"Well said. Do tell the Dawn Dragon I said…'Hello'."

Without another moment's hesitation, Pollux thrust his blade clean through Azama's throat. Setsuna let out a broken wail as Pollux kicked her husband's dying form off of his blade, and collapsed to her knees. Hinoka stood shock still, the world went silent in her ears.

"Well." Pollux shrugged with a smile as he turned to face Hinoka. "I _did_ warn you, Princess."

As realisation began to dawn on her, Hinoka's world went dark with a thud. Castor stood over her, grinning. The chance had presented itself, and she had taken it, slamming the pommel of her blade into the back of the Princess's head. She hauled her onto her shoulders, watching as her brother subdued Setsuna, and hauling her up.

Castor grinned. She was a nice toy. Corrin would get Hinoka as requested.

They would get Setsuna..

* * *

Kana knew something was happening. Rhajat seemed particularly happy today. She had awoken early, even for her, and had even dressed in a simple clean dress for whatever the occasion was (even if it had only taken half an hour to get it caked in dirt).

"Kan-Kan!" Her pale haired companion dashed up, and after taking her hand, all but dragged her to the village entrance. "It's Papa!"

The group marching towards them dressed in hues of purple and blue, their clothing appeared surprisingly thin for travelers in this area.

"Papa!"

Abandoning decorum completely, Rhajat barrelled into her fathers legs. In the past decade, Hayato had lost his youthful, boyish appearance, now taller, more handsome than 'cute'. He had been named as Fuga's successor, a post he'd no doubt inherit soon, as Fuga was deathly ill.

It was only later, after a family meal, that Hayato finally decided to start things moving towards the inevitable.

"Rhaj, go get your things." Hayato knelt down to face her. He glanced at Kana, before return his attention to his daughter. "You're coming to visit my home. Tell your friend to do the same, okay?"

"Okay Papa!"

"You are certain about this?" Hayato asked quietly after both their daughter and Kana were safely out of earshot.

"I am, yes."

* * *

Hayato fought back a scowl. "You'll die."

"Frankly I'm got looking forward to it." The Flame Chief grinned. "But that appears to be what will happen."

"You could come with us." He tried not to sound pleading, but failed.

"I'm the Flame Chief. My place is here. My people have never abandoned their homeland, I will not be the one who does. _I will not_."

The heir to the Wind Tribe sighed, and stepped forward, taking her in his arms. In all honesty, Rinkah did wish to go with him, combining the two Tribes into one, but there were older laws and traditions. By sending her daughter away with the children and non-combatants, she'd save the Tribe. Her Rhajat was far, far younger than she would have liked her to be upon taking up the mantle of Chief, but deep down she knew that the Tribe wouldn't let her down, nor let her go it alone.

She all but melted into his embrace, enjoying it for probably the last time.

"….My life began the day I met you, Love." Hayato murmured into her ear as he let go. Rinkah slipped her Oni Mask off, and handed it to her husband, who looked at her knowingly. An Oni Mask was carved for a family, and carried with it the stories and histories of that family in the small, introcate carvings cut into them. Hayato knew what it ment. Rinkah was telling him her tale was done, and it was time for Rhajat's story to be added to that of her ancestors.

"Papa! I'm ready!"

Rhajat's voice shattered the silence, a large pack on her back, and Kana at her side with an equally large one on hers.

Rinkah bent down, and pulled both girls into the mother of all bear hugs. "Be good..."

"We will Mama! See you soon!"

"Bye-Bye Auntie Rin!" Chirped Kana.

Rinkah forced herself to remain composed as she watched the small convoy leave, but she knew, even then, that she'd never see her family again. In all, about fifty Tribesmen left with Hayato. She hoped it was enough.

"…Chief?"

"Prepare to battle." She responded coldly.

* * *

"Skald…..Skaaaaald…it's time to wake up, Skaldy-boy."

The now former Head Priest of the Dusk Dragon blinked himself awake, and hurriedly looked around. He was strapped to a table. He struggled against his restraints before he looked up into the beaming face of Dorian Erised. "Ah! There we are."

"Where…?" Skald wheezed.

"Haven." The man smiled, almost warmly. "You are in Haven. Specifically the Ministry of Magi-Science Research. As to _why_ you are here, that is simple, we're-"

A scream of pain emanating from another cell interrupted him.

"Oh ignore her, she does that from time to time." Dorian waved a hand dismissively. "Our Lady Higanbana didn't take well to our…. _improvements."_

"I care not for your monsters" Skald snarled. "Kill me and be done with it."

The doctor let out a laugh.

"Kill you? Oh no no no, my friend." He all but purred. "King Corrin has given us _explicit_ instructions to keep you alive, and the Ministry does like to keep his Majesty on side..."

Skald's eye fell upon the tome in the man's hand. With the first feeling of dread he had felt in years, he realised that it was a Thoron tome.

Dorian smiled pleasantly.

"Shall we begin?"

* * *

 **Historical Logs: The Royal Blades.**

 _The Royal Blades of Haven were formed by the first King, Corrin, in the first few years of his reign. Initially comprised of ten individuals, King Corrin later allowed the famed archer, Lady Emilia into its ranks. A twelfth was added during his successors reign, and the Royal Blades have stood at twelve strong ever since._

 _Of course, whilst every Royal Blade (barring the First) are equal, they each have 'traditional' duties._

 _The First Blade is considered the leader of the Blades, and is more often than not the current Highlord. As such, their duty is to command the Royal Armies_

 _The Second Blade is traditionally the Commander of the Dark Fliers, or, more recently, the Commander of all air forces of Haven._

 _The Third Blade represents the Beastkin, acting as their champion and representative to the King._

 _The Fourth Blade is usually put in charge of settling new cultures into the Kingdom, finding them a home and educating them in how the Kingdom works._

 _The Fifth Blade is traditionally the personal armsman of the monarch, usually starting out as their squire. Their duties include the upkeep and maintenance of the monarchs armour and weaponry._

 _The Sixth Blade is usually a member of the Havenite Expeditionary Brigade. They serve as the leader of the vanguard of the Royal Army, and all the duties that comes with it._

 _The Seventh Blade is often a wildcard. A highly adaptable warrior capable of both frontline command, and solo missions._

 _The Eighth Blade is typically placed in charge of the 'Deeprealm Terminal', giving them control over which realms Haven is open, or closed to._

 _The Ninth Blade is technically in charge of the Monarch's so-called 'secret' projects, whether it be kidnapping, assassination, or researching a new technology._

 _The Tenth Blade's official duty is the protection of the royal palace. In actuality, The Tenth's purpose is more akin to an enforcer, a thug whose sole duty is to enforce their lieges will, no matter how dark or immoral._

 _-_ Excerpt from the book 'Haven in the First Century', written by Irene Isauros.

* * *

 **Just an update for you all on 'The Long Way Round'. It's on its way, I admit I misjudged how much time I'd need to sort it all out into something coherent.**

 **So all I'll say is that it is on the way.**

 **As usual, I do hope you enjoyed it. Drop me a review if you feel like it, they really do help me get an idea of what you guys are and aren't enjoying.**

 **Stay safe!**

 **-Rem**


	29. Chapter 29

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

"What the hell is this?!" Panic was rising in the red head, though she disguised it with a scowl. "What did you do?!"

"Oh calm down." Grima sighed. "Did I not just say? I'm showing you my past. Not from the very beginning of course, we don't have _that_ long."

"Fine." Selena snapped "Say I believe you. Why the hell are we in a field?"

"You've dreamt of this field all your life. Don't you want to know _why?_ " Grima queried. "This is…was my home once. I'd theorise it being something along the lines of my memories bleeding into yours, but frankly, that sounds like horseshit. The truth is I have no idea how you are seeing this."

Without another word, Grima started to walk. A simple, easy stride someone uses when they haven't a care in the world. "Chop chop Sweetie."

Ahead of them, the land was no longer flat, spreading out before them was a truly massive lake of calm, clear water. A handful of wooden huts dotted the shoreline, making up a village. The figure by the lake looked identical to how the Grima beside appeared now, albeit with a far more genuine smile on his face as he interacted with what she assumed were his followers. He was clapping the fishermen on the shoulders and helping with their catches.

"That's…you." Selena murmured.

"That is Absalom, the Dragon of Family. Or, more correctly, the Dragon of Bonds." Grima explained. "The being I once was."

Selena ignored him, instead keeping her attention on the scene below. A small figure, wearing clothes in earthy tones of green, yellow and brown, dashed up to him. Absalom hoisted her up, placing her onto his shoulders with a laugh.

"Who's that?"

"That is my daughter. Melusine." The ancient being chuckled. "Although she went by Merry most of the time. She became the ' _Divine'_ Mother."

"You sound like you love her. I got the impression you hated her." Selena mused aloud, resisting the urge to place her hand on her heart on lower her head in respectful reverence as she had done in Grimleal shrines as a child (and in her own private shrine in Nohr. A secret she kept from all save two, three if Grima was counted.)

"Oh I do. But I also love her. She _is_ my daughter after all."

"It's almost creepy how you look happy."

"What? I'm not _completely_ without feeling. And I have to be happy. I have to enjoy the good, given what you're about to see.."

"What do you mean?"

Grima shot her a sad smile. "Just watch."

The scene changed. Now the sky was dark with storm clouds, and Absalom and his followers lay dead, surrounded by a dozen men wearing what appeared to be archaic versions of the robes worn by priests of Naga. The long knives in their hands dripped blood into the soil. Cowering behind one of the homes, a young Merry watched as her father's body was unceremoniously dumped in the lake. Selena let out a gasp as the Men advanced on the huts, and a scream tore through the air, louder than the thunder and rain. Selena started to move towards Merry, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.

"You cannot help her."Grima sighed "The events you've just witnessed occurred _millennia_ ago, you cannot change them, no matter how much you may wish to."

Selena closed her eyes, and sighed. "I know."

…And Selena kept on dreaming.

* * *

In all, the Flame Tribe had just under two hundred ready for battle. Most were Oni Savages, their family masks sent along to the Wind Tribe, who had donned simpler masks, and their maces had been fixed, cleaned and blessed. The few archers they had had been busying themselves preparing arrows, poisons and the deadly pitch for flaming arrows. The Sages, the Tribes Mages and Healers had worked through the night, finding every potion, stave and bandage they could.

Surprisingly, the mood was almost upbeat. The Flame Tribe loved a fight, and a hopeless fight meant that they could go all out. Their loved ones had fled with the Wind Tribe, and tonight, they'd all go through the rite of 'Final Night'. They'd feast and drink and fuck and brawl. Then, come the dawn, a mighty bonfire would be lit, a funeral pyre for the entire Tribe. Symbolically dead, they'd then have nothing left to lose. They could throw themselves into the fight, unburdened the usual 'rules' of warfare, completely and utterly without sin in the eyes of their faith.

Rinkah was nursing a mug of mead on her balcony when someone approached her from behind. The constant thump of metal against wood allowed her to tell which of her Tribe it was.

Agni Ironfoot.

"Uncle Agni, how are our people?" Rinkah asked coolly, placing her mug on the railing. "Are we prepared?"

"We will not go gently, Chief." The grizzled warrior replied. He had grown up alongside Rinkah's father, and had even taught most of current warriors of the Tribe. One eye was blinded, an ugly scar running through it and down her cheek. Two decades or so ago, he had lost one of his feet to frostbite. He had been caught in a snowstorm during a hunt in the mountains. He had replaced it with a solid cast iron prosthetic, earning the unimaginative nickname, 'Ironfoot'. Rinkah had offered to let him go with the rest of the Tribe, his response had, in a blunt tone, been 'No'. "I swear it."

Rinkah nodded curtly. "Good. Make sure everyone eats heartily tonight. Chances are we all die tomorrow."

"….Understood, Chief."

The old warrior departed, his foot thumping loudly as he went. Rinkah was almost glad he had chosen to stay. Such a warrior would take many others down with him.

Her thoughts turned to her family. Letting Hayato go had been the single hardest choice she'd ever had to make.

"You appear remarkably calm, Rinkah." A warm voice filled her ears. The pale haired woman's eyes flew open, and she turned, throwing herself into the arms of the man behind her.

"Father!"

Monk Teine smiled. His bushy white beard came down passed his ribcage, and his plain red robes made him look wider and fatter than he was. In actuality, most of what appeared to be fat was muscle. He'd be a _monumental_ help in the coming battle, but as a Monk of the Flame Spirit, he was forbidden from combat, taking up a more pacifistic path.

"You are looking well." He commented. "How is my granddaughter?"

"Rhajat is fine." Rinkah sighed. "She will be safe with Fuga and Hayato. Kana too."

"The dragon girl." Teine nodded. "I know her. We've seen her in our flames."

"Dragon girl?"

"You were unaware? That girl will soar in the sky one day, with a firestorm at her back and a crown on her head."

The prophecy from so long ago made its way to the forefront of her mind now. "She won't return here, because there won't be a here to return to. _That's_ the thing you saw.."

A sad smile crossed her fathers face. "Correct, my child."

The Flame Chief left her fathers arms. "You had me think that sending her away wa a death sentence! Eight years of keeping her confined to the Village for fear of losing her!"

"Prophecies can be interpreted many ways Rinkah."

The younger of the pair snarled. "Interpret this; I will never see you again."Without another word, she stalked off. It took five minutes for her to stop walking, reaching the Outskirts of her home. She was alone.

And for the first time in years, Flame Chief Rinkah broke down into sobs.

* * *

"That was masterfully done pet." Merry beamed as she embraced Emi, carrying her up to the living quarters and nuzzling her cheek affectionately. "You're a Royal Blade….fantastic."

"Thank you Mistress." The Archer lowered her head, and wriggled free. "Might I inquire as to what you are planning?"

"Planning? Whoever said I had a plan?" Merry smirked as she draped herself over an armchair. "Some people fight for honour, others money. Some fight because they love to kill, and others for the glory. People scheme and plot because it's fun, or because it's the easiest way to get something done."

"And you, Mistress?"

"Oh, I scheme for fun. And to kill time. Occasionally I scheme to kill people. But I had you join the Royal Blades as a mere spy. An observer reporting back everything the King and his Blades discuss. The Havenites are awfully amusing, but I'd prefer to stay hidden. It also means I can play around with the whelp's magic."

Emi's eyes widened. "What do you mean, Mistress?"

"Well _someone_ had to make use of Anankos' magic. And having the Faceless at my beck and call isn't a bad thing. I can provide you with a way to prove your loyalty…and give Corrin the power over the faceless."

"Why give him an army?"

"Emi Emi Emi, if you wish to see someone's true character, give him power. If he had the power to control the Faceless, how would he use it? As an army? A labour force?"

Emi lowered her gaze. "I do not presume to know, Mistress. Nor do I agree with stealing the body of the Queen's father. That _was_ you, yes?"

A light chuckle left Merry's lips. "I had to give the illusion of a leader, didn't I?"

"To what end, Mistress?"

"To keep them confused, of course." Merry smirked. "Keep the players confused, and they'll focus on what they see, and not on what you are truly up to."

"Which is?"

A dark smile crossed Merry's face now. "Careful. That is a dangerous question to ask.."

Boldly, the Archer stepped forwards. "Maybe I like danger.."

The ancient beings eyes widened a little, and she let out an amused cackle as she rose, closing the gap and caressing one of the ginger's cheeks. "Oh my, how daring.~"

Seeing her chance, Emi brushed her lips against Merry's, and tasted fire, spices, strawberries and the first frost of winter. When Merry, momentarily shocked that the usually near sycophantic woman had actually kissed her, didn't resist, Emi leant in for another.

And another.

And another...

* * *

 **I had expected to be posting this on the 16th, to mark a year since the first chapter of Darkworlds was posted. But stalling posting something isn't me, so here we go. I do hope you enjoy.**

 **Next, we start the Flame Tribe vs Imperialists Arc.**

 **I do hope you enjoyed, and have a nice** **day**.

 **(Oh, and I'd love to hear how you guys interpret Tiene's vision of Kana)**


	30. Chapter 30: Stealing Home, Part 1

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

Overlooking his somewhat mighty war host from his tent, 'Emperor' Takumi poured over his plans. His bodyguard, Hinata stood next to him, arms held behind his back. Other Generals and supporters had been there minutes ago, but had departed to ready the men. Takumi didn't trust them.

 _They are all sycophants._

"Where is Oboro?" Takumi asked, almost absently. He hadn't intended to marry her, if he was honest. But after one drunken night a number of years previously, he had been left with little choice. She wasn't the worst Consort a Hoshidan ruler had ever had (for it would take a _truly_ demented and cruel consort to topple Yangchen the Sorceress), but Takumi would have to work harder to win the loyalty of the Daimyo's, whose armies he relied on. It would have been easier to marry one of their daughters, at least that way his heir would be of noble blood on both sides. But wasting month after month of arguing which daughter to marry wasn't something he could afford.

 _They are all cowards._

"We do not know, Emperor." Hinata, ever the loyal retainer, answered. Despite the fact that he _vehemently_ disagreed with his Lord's actions, he had sworn the retainer's oath, and was bound to obey.

 _They are all liars._

"Find her. An Emperor needs his consort and his heir."

"We will do our utmost, Emperor." Hinata replied. "I will send men after our victory. We cannot afford to lose any now."

Takumi dismissed him with a wave. "Good."

 _They are all enemies._

He had lost the Fujin Yumi to that foreign bitch. He had had to keep that news secret from his loyalists, lest they take it as a sign of divine disfavour and defected back to Ryoma and the Nohrian whore who wore ( ** _defiled_**!) Queen Mikoto's robes. He wouldn't, _couldn't_ allow that.

 _For Mother_.

The Emperor departed his tent, and went to find his mount. He'd bring the blunt savagery of these fire worshiping hearthens into the Empire, then do the same with the Wind Tribe. After that...Shirasagi awaited.

* * *

Across the gorge that divided Hoshido from Flame Tribe territory, there spanned an ornate looking bridge of wood and jade, decorated with equally ornate looking patterns and paintings. Once, in the days of the old Hoshidan Empire, one ambitious Emperor had the bridge built before he invaded the Tribe. He and his army had been feathered with arrows and burned away by magic, forcing them away. It had taken the two successive generations for the Conquest of the Flame Tribe to be completed, and even then, they ruled for a mere century, before breaking away during the Duchy Rebellion that led to the creation of Nohr. For almost three centuries, the Flame Tribe represented the Northern and Easternmost point of the Kingdom of Nohr, until the reign of King Julian, whose policies led to the Flame Tribe's independence. They had become an ally of Hoshido within a century, with a non-aggression pact being signed within months of their independence. Until today, Hoshido had always abided by the pact, even if Hoshidan bandits were a problem from time to time.

Agni stood defiantly, blocking the bridge off with only a dozen or so soldiers, his iron foot beating against the wood like a drum. At his side was his son, Kai. In his youth, he had earned the nickname 'Cindermaul'. A bandit group had attacked a hunting party, and Kai, then barely twenty, had faced down the bandit's Mage, who had blasted at him with fire magic (forgetting, of course, that attacking the _Flame_ Tribe with _fire_ magic was a foolish move). The young warrior had caught the ensuing fireball with his warhammer, igniting it. Kai then, almost singlehandedly, driven the bandits off, howling at the top of his lungs and swinging his blazing weapon around wildly. Ever since, Kai had been the one in charge of guarding the main bridge into Flame Tribe lands. His pale hair was long and braided, as was his, frankly magnificent, beard.

"Would you Hoshidan's hurry up?!" Agni boomed across the bridge with good humour. "I haven't got all day!"

Laughter erupted from the Tribesmen as they crashed their mauls against their shields. It was an obvious taunt, one that the Imperialists had to force themselves to ignore. For them, such taunting was considered dishonourable, and simply 'Not done'. Whilst they had and would insult them off the battlefield, _on it_ was another matter. On it the Flame Tribe were their honoured foe, worthy of at least _some_ respect.

"Advance." The Emperor's voice carried across the lines of his armies, clear and calm. The first row of swordsmen, wearing matching blue and silver armour in honour of Sumeragi, began a slow march across the bridge. Most of them didn't harbour any particular hatred of the Tribesmen, but their Lord's had ordered it, had sided with Takumi, and so they were honour-bound to follow.

On the other side, Kai stepped forth, swinging his Warhammer as though it were a toy, and promptly barrelled down the bridge, a single moment later, several of his soldiers followed. "This is _our_ land! Our _home!_ " He cried. "If you wish to stay, **_FINE! WE SHALL BURY YOU HERE!"_**

Screaming like berserkers, the Tribesmen slammed into the Imperial lines, hacking and slamming at them with axe and hammer.

After a moment or two to react, the imperial blades soon sang as they cut through the air, clashing against the hardened leather armour that the Tribesmen donned. It would have, as always, been enchanted by the Sages and the Mages of the Tribe to make it more resilient, resistant to the blows that the Imperials rained down upon them.

"DOWN!"

The voice of one of the Fire Mages thundered across the bridge. The Tribesmen through themselves down to the floor as a torrent of flame tore across the bridge, engulfing those unfortunate enough to be caught in its deadly path. Takumi seethed as he watched his forces withdraw from the bridge.

The tribesmen scrambled to their feet, and chased after them, laughing boisterously as bloodlust kicked in. Agni Ironfoot bolted down the bridge, roaring as his axe cleaved deep into the chest of the first Imperial he met, before moving onto the next. Agni swung a powerful kick to his opponents knee, the decorative armour offering little resistance to solid iron. The swordsman yelled out in agony as his kneecap shattered, as he fell, Agni slashed his axe against his enemies head. The proud swordsman fell to the ground with a damp clatter.

The aged warrior panted, allowing himself a moment to catch his breath. He looked down at his defeated foes, drinking in their faces...

As a swordsman drove his blade into his side. Agni roared in agony, rounding on his attacker. He grabbed the mans head and squeezed, and squeezed, ignoring the battle around him and the mans screaming. He kept squeezing until the mans skull gave way in his hands, little more than shards of bone soaked in pinky-red slime. Agni slumped down and gasped in pain. The sword had clearly cut deep. His son cried out, fighting off his current foe and ran towards his much beloved father.

Kai slipped an arm around his fathers shoulders, and all but dragged him back to the rest of the warriors still engaging the enemy.

"Cover us!"

The mages rushed forward, driving a wall of fire careening toward the Imperialists, who scrambled for cover, as Kai helped his father retreat to safety across the bridge. When they were confident that they were safe, the mages fell back too. Soon, the rest of the Tribesmen followed.

"Take out the bridge."

The mages turned to peer at Kai with widening eyes, as though believing they'd misheard him.

"Do you have mud in your ears?! Destroy it! **_NOW!"_**

"Too late boy.." His father coughed, grinning through bloody teeth. He nodded toward the Imperial lines. "Look."

* * *

"Why do they fight back?" Takumi sighed sadly atop his horse. "Do they not see that we do this for their own good? Do they think us savage conquerors? _Nohrians?"_

Hinata shrugged. "It does seem like it, Emperor."

The would-be Monarch let out another sigh. "I am filled with sorrow for them. They know no better. It is why we should have brought them back into our lands long ago."

"Perhaps they consider it you being racist, Emperor." Hinata suggested. "Given your dislike of Nohr, it isn't that far-fetched an idea…"

"Hinata, because we are friends, I will forgive that offence. We do not invade them for not being Hoshidan, we are simply doing what is best for their people. Their leaders stubbornly cling to independence when they could benefit _so much more_ by being part of our Empire."

"I…admit, I doubt they see it in that manner, Emperor."

"Keep your admissions." Takumi scowled, and turned to the commander of his archers, a man named Hiro. "I tire of this distraction. Remove it for me."

He nodded once and barked a command. "Archers! Make ready!"

In near perfect unison, the archers notched arrows into their bows, pulled the bowstrings back, and held them there, awaiting orders. Hiro glanced at his Emperor, who nodded. He'd allow the Commander to give the order, and, in the eyes of the Dawn Dragon, keep his own hands clean of blood.

With a sigh, Hiro barked his order. "Fire!"

* * *

Across the bridge, supported by Kai, Agni Ironfoot let out a feral, bloodthirsty howl and threw his free arm wide, as if welcoming the rain of arrows overhead. His son's own war cry soon joined his, as did the warcries of all of their remaining men in an unholy cacophony, until they were silenced, forever.

The Imperialists didn't even acknowledge the bodies as they passed, all at least, save one.

"That was hardy honourable, Emperor." Hinata pointed out, his disdain evident.

"We're at war, Hinata. This is not the time for fair play." Came his Lord's response.

And so the Imperials continued their march to the main Flame Tribe settlement, now unopposed.

* * *

 **Alrighty, I do apologise that it took me a while to get this out, whatever illness I had last year appears to have returned with a vengeance. Really quite unpleasant.**

 **Secondly, I'm running another poll which will last until the end of Darkhearts, so take a look if you get the chance.**

 **As always, stay safe, and have a great day.**


	31. Chapter 31: Stealing Home, Part 2

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on FFNet

* * *

"Remind me _why_ we're here?" Morgan groaned in annoyance. She, Anna and Mordred were in a dark corner of Nohr, in the shadow of the Northern Fortress. It was, curiously, abandoned, as though no one had touched it since Corrin had departed for the last time. Its hauntingly quiet halls were cold, untouched by a hearths warmth for many years, its inhabitants barely more than rats and spiders. Anna was currently readying the barrels of the portal dust her family made copious use of, whilst Mordred and Morgan discussed other matters.

"Because the King ordered we to protect Anna whilst she gets things ready, and Castor and Pollux can't be trusted not to stab her." Mordred grinned. The vanguard made little secret that he was wary of the twins, whom he viewed as little more than thugs, the lowest of the low. Finding glory in battle was one thing, but _excitement_? _Gratification?_ The stuff of butchers..

"That's Cass and Pol for you. Fulfilling the ever important position of 'the friends no one likes'"

"Hey! Leave them be." Anna chimed in, without looking up from her work. "They may be creeps, but they are _my_ creeps."

Morgan raised an eyebrow. "Is this one of those ''only I can insult my kids'' things?"

"Pretty much." Anna admitted. "They may be crazy, but they're the closest things I have to children. I can't say I agree with everything they do, but I do care about them."

"But is it true that th-"Morgan started, but the other red head cut her off, slamming one of the barrels down with loud thud.

"What they do with their free time is up to them." Anna snapped. "I do not know, nor do I care."

Jamming a knife onto the barrel's side, she started to roll it around the Fortress. It would take several of the heavy, half full barrels to surround the Fortress, and several more on the other side, outside the walls of Haven. The other side was being monitored by a dozen or so members of the Ministry of Magi-Science Research. This was, of course, due to the fact that this was an experiment. Not even the Anna's were _entirely_ certain whether or not it would work, that the red headed family were watching over the proceedings with genuine curiosity.

"We understand that Anna." Mordred sighed. "What concerns us is that they are…unstable."

"That's saying something!" Morgan chirped as she helped with the barrels.

"Morgan, I doubt you can talk about unstable families." Anna remarked. "Possessed father, cunning aunt, _traitorous_ sister...Stefano was alright, I suppose."

All cheer left Morgan's voice. "Please don't bring cousin Stefano into this." She pleaded.

Anna lowered her head, almost in shame. Stefano Di Gangrel had been The Lady Aversa's son by King Gangrel. Rather than killing the boy, King Robin had allowed the boy to live, even allowing the boy a Princely style and claim to the throne (to avoid any succession crises if the Di Augustina family died out). He had grown up as the King's much loved nephew, and had been close with his royal 'cousins'. Since his family had no lands, Robin had granted him some land in the fertile southern end of the Island of Navarra. The Palazzo D'Santiago, with its warm waters and large trading port, soon became a favourite holiday home for the Royals. Charming and chivalrous, Stefano had become the kingdoms favourite knight, a young hero from the legends, defending Plegia and her people and safeguarding them in a new peaceful era.

He died in the Battle of Savoy during the Third Plegia-Ylisse War, adding even more fuel to the Plegian King's rage.

"Look, I'm sorry." Anna apologised. "It just hurts. Cass and Pol are crazy, I know. But I love them both like family. You rightly don't like it when family is insulted….I'm much the same."

The red head continued her work in silence. She rolled the barrels around the Fortress, and, as Morgan and Mordred rested, she drew out the runes into the dust, sealing the destination, rather than scattering the Fortress and its contents across any, and multiple, deeprealms and realities.

The agreed upon time came, and Anna allowed Morgan to ignite the dust. It took a full two minutes for the seal to come aflame in its entirety. A tremor then rocked the valley in which the Fortress rested, knocking the group to the ground a short distance away.

"Holy crap." Anna whispered, a broad grin forming on her face. "It worked…"

"Probably."

"Don't ruin it Morgan."

* * *

The Royal Gardens of Haven had been the idea of Princess Lilith, a number of years after the birth of her daughter, Sophie. On one side of Babel Tower, behind stone walls, rows of flowers and berry bushes grew. A set of swings for the children (and secretly, the adults when drunk) to play on hung from a proud oak, from which birdsong often woke the royals.

Corrin was in these royal gardens with Caleb when Castor and Pollux swaggered into view, a chained and barely clothed Hinoka dragged behind them. Setsuna was suspiciously absent.

"Caleb, run along. I've got to deal with this." Corrin told his son kindly. After his son was out of earshot, he rounded on his Blades, his expression betraying his fury.

"What _the_ _ **hell is this?!"**_ He roared.

"The Princess Muromachi Hinoka." Proclaimed Castor cheerfully. Her brother, to his credit, looked more subdued.

"Get out of my sight! Both of you!" He spat in disgust. "I will deal with you both later."

Pollux didn't look surprised at his King's order. He placed a hand on his twins shoulder, and started to lead her away. Corrin made no attempt to stop them, until Castor started to drag Hinoka along behind her.

"Leave her." He snapped. "She is not yours to torment. Nor are her retainers. Bring them here."

"Well, since one's dead…we'd hoped for-" Castor started.

"Do your _truly_ think I'd _reward_ you after you so brazenly disobey my orders? Be glad I'm not giving you to Dorian. Leave."

Castor pouted, not noticing her brother had already beat a retreat.

"NOW!" Corrin all but screamed, his form pulsing as his draconic features burst forth. Fearful for once, the Dark Knight scrambled after Pollux. Corrin then turned his gaze on his supposed sibling.

With surprising affection, Corrin unclasped his cloak, and wrapped it around Hinoka. He untied the rope that lashed her wrists together, and gently led her from the garden. "There is no apology I can give that will absolve me of the wrongdoing of my Blades, Princess." He spoke in a soft tone, almost as though a different person to moments ago. "But I will offer you my most sincere apologies for how Castor and Pollux have treated you."

As they entered the main tower in one of the Royal 'rat run' tunnels, using to easily navigate though palace from the Royal apartments, they were greeted by Jakob and his son, Dwyer.

"Jakob." Corrin addressed his Chamberlain in a polite tone, which surprised Hinoka. "Prepare a bath and guest rooms for Princess Hinoka. Quickly now."

"Of course, Your Majesty." Jakob replied with equal respect, bowing before striding off into the palace. "Come now, Dwyer."

"O-Oh, yes father!" The nervous brunette stammered, and trotted after Corrin's ever faithful servant.

In silence, Corrin guided Hinoka through the passages, until, unseen by the court, they arrived in Corrin's own study. They waited there, still not speaking, until Jakob appeared again.

"It is ready for you Princess. This way, if you'd please." He addressed her, still in the same tone. Regardless of his own personal feelings and those of the King, Hinoka was still Royalty, so proper respect had to be given.

The Princess didn't know why she risked leaving Corrin's side. For all she knew, Jakob was leading her to her death. But it was for naught. As promised, a bath sat ready for her, along with a clean, warm looking towel. Jakob bowed as he departed, and Hinoka soon slipped into the comfortably warm water, and forced herself to calm down.

She _needed_ to be calm.

* * *

 **Historical Logs: Havenite Coinage**

 _The currency used in the Kingdom of Haven is technically called the Havenite Midas, although more often than not simply named after the metal from which each coin is made. The currency is divided into three denominations, copper, silver and gold. One hundred copper coins (or aeris') make up a single silver coin (argent's), and in turn, one hundred silver coins make up a single gold coin (aurum's)._

 _On one side of each coin, regardless of denomination, is a portrait of the monarch. Their consort remains absent, so as to avoid issues should a monarch remarry. On an aeris, the opposing side depicts the Babel Tower royal palace. On an argent, the stag-like horns of the Kingdom's founder, King Corrin, are depicted. Finally, on an aurum, a stylized version of the Havenite crown is depicted._

 _Most, if not all of the various cultures of Haven already had a 'currency of three' system, so the implementation of the currency was relatively easy. The monarchs that followed King Corrin barely changed the currency system, and Corrin's successor almost didn't stamp their own face on the coins, intending to keep Corrin's portrait on them. He soon changed his mind, and ever since, Monarchs have placed their own portraits on the coinage._

Excerpt from the book 'Haven in the First Century', written by Irene Isauros.


	32. Chapter 32: Interlude 2

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

Much as it pained her to admit, Hinoka had slept well, despite her location. The guest room she was in was little more than a comfy cell. It had windows that looked out over the city, but one look outside was all Hinoka needed to know that escape via them was impossible due to the height. So too would it be impossible to escape via her door, since a duo of guards stood watch. The pair were polite, but (unfortunately for her) dutiful to their liege. Whilst they were surprisingly kind to her, it was clear that they couldn't be persuaded to betray their King.

The room itself contained a bed and a desk, with an elevated wash basin and mirror across from the bed. The carpet was a deep shade of red, contrasting with the pristine white walls. It wasn't the worst place she'd ever slept, by any means. A number of books were on the desk, and with nothing else to do, Hinoka had begun to read them. Whilst they hadn't exactly grabbed her, it helped pass the time. Unfortunately, they didn't have any information about Haven or its peoples.

There was a knock on the door, drawing her attention away from _The Tales of Gregor._

"Are you decent, My Lady?" Came the voice on the other side.

"Yes…You may enter."

The door was opened, and a silvery haired man in immaculate uniform stood in the doorway.

"My lady. Good morning, I trust you are well rested?" Jakob greeted, bowing formally. "Their Majesties request your presence for breakfast."

"Their.. _majesties?"_

"Indeed. Queen Azura will be there as well." Jakob informed her. "She normally does. The royal Prince's however will be absent. They are with their cousin Princess Sophie."

"Cousin?" How do they have a cousin?"

"Via the Kings sister, Lilith. It is my understanding that they share a father, Princess."

"But Sumera-"

"With respect…" The Chamberlain sighed. "We both know His Majesty Sumeragi was _not_ his father, Princess. I would suggest you do not persist in that lie."

The princess sighed. "…I understand."

"Very well." The Chamberlain gestured to the pile of clothes at his side. "Per the King's request, I have had your clothes repaired and cleaned."

"You work fast." Hinoka complimented with the faintest of smiles.

"I do my duty." Jakob smiled in return. "I will allow you time to dress, but do try to hurry, they have already begun to eat."

"And what of my retainer? What of Setsuna?"

"I am afraid Lady Setsuna is still recovering." Jakob admitted in an apologetic tone. "Our healers are tending to her, but it may be a number of days before she is well enough to leave."

"Watching one's husband die does that." Hinoka replied bluntly.

Jakob remained silent in response. He inclined his head, and closed the door to allow Hinoka to dress. The woman did so in silence, before joining Jakob outside. Her guards fell into step behind them as she was led away.

* * *

"Any words of advice?" The Princess asked quietly.

"I would merely advise you remember who you are dining with, Princess." The chamberlain answered as they approached the Royal chambers. Another duo of guards awaited them, flanking the grand double doors leading to the private dining chamber.

When she pushed open the doors and strode into the private dining chamber, Hinoka didn't find the Monarch and his Consort decked out in all their finery, but casual, loose fitting clothing. Corrin frankly looked like a common deckhand in his loose fitting white shirt, thin green breeches and bare feet. Azura wore little more than an overly fluffy dressing robe. They feasted on fruits and sweetbreads, happily chatting about something Hinoka didn't know. An ornate looking lance rested against the wall nearby, as did, much to the Prinesses disgust, the Raijinto.

"Hinoka!" Corrin greeted cheerfully. "Come in, come in!"

"Hinoka." Azura smiled in an all too pleasant manner as she entered. "How….nice…to see you again."

"..Azura." Came the redhead's reply. "…Good to see you've…made the most of things."

The blunette couldn't help but smile smugly. Hinoka might have changed her tune later _,_ but for many years after Corrin had been kidnapped, the young Hoshidan Princess had actually blamed Azura for it, despite the girl only being five at the time. Their relationship had only got better _after_ Azura had met Corrin for the first time, but by then, it was too late. The Plan was already in motion, and Azura had abandoned the capacity to truly care about the Hoshidan Royalty.

"Now now Love, that's enough hostility. She is our guest, after all. Sit, please."

Hinoka wore a courtly smile and took a seat, clearly a little unused to using chairs instead of the mats used in Hoshido.

"Good morning, Brother. You are looking better than last I saw you." Hinoka acknowledged.

"The last time you saw me, I was pretending to be dead." Corrin bluntly pointed out "Do not presume to think you know me."

"….Apologies." Hinoka sighed, helping herself to the small bowl of rice clearly set aside for her. "Touchy subject, I take it?"

Corrin smiled. "No, I just don't like pretenders."

"Isn't that what you are? Pretending to be a King? You rule _one_ city Corrin! You could have ended the war between Nohr and Hoshido _years_ ago with the forces you have here, and gone at least some way to atone for what you've done!"

"Oh please." The Havenite Queen laughed. "This war of yours could have ended years agowere it not _for_ our intervention. By 'slipping' Leo notes, we provided Nohr with a viable means of food production. With that, there was no need to seek an armistice."

Hinoka's jaw dropped open in horror. She knew that Corrin and Azura had been broken, but she could never have expected _this…_

"You've been fighting and dying and committing unforgivable acts upon each other, without our help, I might add, and we've been here, living out our lives in peace as Haven's much beloved King and Queen. The Parents of a nation. Watching over the people from up on high and providing food, water, jobs and safety. All of them content in the knowledge that our quiet corner of creation is protected from the dangers of Sigal and its peoples."

"But what about Hoshido?! Nohr?! Nestra?!" Hinoka had jumped to her feet, her hand going for a knife as Corrin's words dug deeper.

"Hinoka." Corrin spoke in a cruelly mocking tone. "Whatever gave you the impression we _care_ about other nations? We have agents in multiple deeprealms and realities, spreading the word and bringing people into Haven's welcoming arms, but we don't care about where they come from. If the land is dying, too bad. If they are endanger of an empire bend on conquest and enslavement, boo fucking woo, we don't care, nor will we interfere. We save who we can. Others care about nations, we care about _people._ "

"Now." Azura began, as though her husband hadn't just ranted. "Tell us of our daughter. How is our Ca-"

The door opened, and a Havenite Scout strode in, and knelt before her Monarch. "Your Majesty. I bring news."

"Scout…Harding, isn't it?" Corrin greeted politely. "One of Mordred's lot."

"I…y-yes, your Majesty. I am honoured that you remember me. I have news."

"It must be important, if you've seen fit to interrupt our breakfast." Azura teased, although her tone did little to hide her irritation.

"A thousand pardons, My Queen. But Prince Takumi of Hoshido has proclaimed himself Emperor and has launched an attack on the Flame Tribe."

"A shame." Corrin mused, he had known that Takumi had rebelled, but not that he had gone so far as to proclaim himself Emperor. "The oldest people of Sigal appear to need aid. Perhaps we should send aid…and an off-"

"Kana's there!" The terrified voice that interrupted Corrin belonged to Hinoka, and soon, every eye in the room was on her. "Kana's at the Flame Tribe!"

"What?!" Corrin jumped to his feet, his chair skidding away behind him. "Cana is at the Flame Tribe?!"

Hinoka nodded urgently. "She is!"

Corrin tore out of the room, Azura at his heels, Hinoka momentarily forgotten.

"Jakob!" He thundered as loud as his lungs could muster "Ready the Blades! And bring Lord Marc too! We'll need his skills."

Outwardly unfazed, Jakob bowed as his liege approached. "What should I tell them, Your Majesty?"

Corrin allowed a giddy snarl to escape his lips. This was what he hoped for for eight years now. A chance. A _real_ chance.

"Tell them: We're going to get my daughter back."


	33. Chapter 33: Stealing Home, Part 3

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

Remaining asleep, Selena's dream changed.

The land around her and Grima once again faded away, and reformed. The ruins gave way to a lush green oasis. Sandstone walls surrounded it, with soldiers in familiar bronze armour patrolling atop the walkways of the multiple upper levels, their purple cloaks gently fluttering behind them. The main building was blocky, and covered in vines, the sounds of fountains filled to air, and it was joined by a subtle, citrusy smell. Realisation soon crashed into her.

"But this is…"

"Mhm." Grima confirmed "The Palazzo Di'Arance. January the twenty-first, the year one thousand nine hundred and eighty-nine by the Revised Plegian Calendar, seventeen years prior to the Third Ylisse-Plegia War. Or to put it another way, this is the place you were born, on the day you were born."

Selena was silent for a number of seconds. "I'm surprised you remember."

A hurt expression crossed Grima's face. "Are you not my daughter? Why wouldn't I remember the day you were born?"

"Because you're an evil death seeking dragon-god?" Came Selena's mocking response.

"Why should that stop me?" Came the slightly sullen response. "Do you think so little of me that I'd forget such an important date?"

He turned to look at Selena, his face breaking into a grin. "Shall we go take a look around?" He prompted cheerfully.

"Is that a _good_ idea?"

The elder being grinned as he started walking. "Why are you asking me? I have no idea."

Despite the fact that he was likely infinitely more powerful than she, Selena felt like wringing Grima's neck. "Why are you going if you've no idea?!"

"That makes it more fun." He teased.

"...You're mad."

" _I'm_ mad? In case you've forgotten, I'm just a voice in your head." Grima reminded her. "If _I_ am mad, what does it make _you?"_

* * *

Sat outside a room on one of the upper levels, against the lavishly decorated wall, were Selena's father and aunt. Her father was sat scandalously on the extravagant 'Grandmaster' robes that had been a coronation gift from Ylisse. Aversa, not known for dressing modestly, wore her usual dark ensemble.

"Hey Grumpy, smile." Aversa smirked, and prodded Robin's cheek. "She'll be fine."

Selena stifled a laugh as her father glared, looking about as intimidating as a puppy frowning for the first time.

"Hey, if _I_ couldn't kill her, what hope does a baby have?"

" _Aversa."_ His tone was warning now, his complete lack of amusement evident.

"Bad joke? Look. I might not like her all that much, but Cordelia isn't going to die today." Aversa tried reassuring her adoptive brother.

"You are a soothsayer now?" Came Robin's sardonic response. "Really could have known that earlier."

"Funny. I mean it though." The Dark Flier grinned.

From their position across the courtyard, (sort of) Father lent against the wall next to daughter.

"I'm surprised Validar isn't here." She said, apropos of nothing.

Grima's gaze narrowed. "Why?"

"He _is_ my grandfather, is he not?" Selena sneered.

"No!" The elder being hissed, and for the first time in centuries, Grima showed simple, _mortal_ anger. Gone was the thundering, played-up rage he had shown before, in its place was anger in its purest, base form. Somehow, that made it all the more unnerving. "That pathetic _**waste**_ of a man was unfit to bear the title Lord Prophet, let alone _Grandfather."_

The ghost of a cruel smile crossed is daughters face. "And what, pray tell, did he do to earn the ire of his _beloved_ Grima?"

"He kidnapped you." The response was blunt, and not at all what Selena had expected. "Robin refused to aid in my resurrection, so he took you. The fool thought blackmail was a good to make Robin do what we wanted. Unfortunately, I had already grown to _like_ being a parent again and Robin had done so for the first time. So he and I made our pact. He gained my power, and through him, I gained some semblance of mortality once more. And so that was the first time he ever tapped into _Ignis._ " Grima commented quietly.

"One day, you _will_ tap into it." He sighed, closing his eyes. "That much is fact."

"I will _**NEVER**_ be the Fel Dragon!" She had seen how the power changed her siblings whilst under its influence. Morgan became unstable, unpredictable, and Marc turned mildly sadistic and ruthless. She had sworn she would never _pollute_ herself in such a manner.

"Good. "The elder being smiled. "Have you forgotten already? I am nothing more than the Dragon of Bonds. _And besides,_ you could always _give up_ the power once you have it. I won't be around to stop you."

This gave Selena pause.

"Wait, really?"

"What reason do I have to lie?" Grima scoffed. "You could turn the women you love immortal and never ageing. You could conquer this world and rule as the Eternal God-Queen of All...or you could simply...give it all up."

He started to walk away as the scenery faded away.

"That choice will be yours..."

* * *

Hinoka had, after Corrin had stormed off, been sent to stay with a (somewhat) sympathetic Havenite. The one Azura had chosen was Kamamoto Gensei, a once highly skilled samurai. He had served as a Royal Blade for a time, before retiring due to age. He lived in a Hoshidan style estate in the centre of the Akaikusa district, home to the majority of the Hoshidan Havenites. He now served at the Hoshidan representative of the Havenite Council.

The now elderly samurai eyed the Princess carefully from across the table they were seated at. She was clearly trying not to scowl at him. "Is something wrong, Princess?"

"You were a rebel." Hinoka spat. "You tried to depose Mother. You _know_ what's wrong."

"You wish to know why I rebelled against Queen Regent Mikoto." He politely stated. "The Akaikusa rebellion."

"Well, yeah." She sighed. "I don't get why anyone would do so. She was a good ruler. Kind."

"It was simple, actually." He explained, settling into his seat. "She refused to relinquish the regency after Prince Ryoma reached the age of adulthood."

"That's all?" Hinoka blinked. "Why not just bring your concerns to the court? To Mother personally? Why rebel?"

"Do you _honestly_ believe we _didn't?"_ Gensei asked with genuine curiosity. "We did, and Mikoto refused. We only rebelled after she refused a second time. We threatened to rebel, and when she didn't listen, we went through with our threat. We rebelled. And Mikoto sent in the army and crushed us."

"She wouldn't." "She was a good queen. A good person."

"Mikoto was Queen Regent. She didn't have the luxury of being 'a good person'."

"But she was!" Came Hinoka's protest. "Mother was a good person!"

"How?"

"What?" Hinoka asked, bewildered.

"I asked _how_ she was a good person, Princess Hinoka. Was expelling all citizens of Nohrian descent the act of a 'good' person? Was kidnapping the then Princess Azura? What about declaring the entire populations of our towns and cities traitors? Or letting her son _rot_ in Nohr whilst she ruled a nation? She was a good _ruler,_ not a good person. She understood the fundamental rule of ruling. That the needs of the many must _always_ outweigh personal feeling." Gensei sighed. He took no pleasure in telling his former Princess this, he was, after all, destroying the poor woman's view of Mikoto. But the difference between being a good _ruler_ and being a good _person_ was a lesson Hinoka should have already learnt. Gensei himself had had a great deal of respect for Mikoto, she had after all, helped to 'steady' Hoshido after Sumeragi's murder. But, as with so many rulers, she had been unwilling to give up power.

At least, in the Akaikusa's opinion, whilst in truth, it had been Ryoma that had been unwilling to _take_ power. Something Mikoto hadn't told them, for fear of damaging the future rulers reputation.

"Does _Corrin_ understand that rule?" Hinoka's voice was quiet with barely lidded anger.

Gensei smiled sadly. "If he didn't, Haven would have invaded to take back his daughter the day we got the Gate working again regardless of the risk or threat to his men. Make _no_ mistake though, he is looking for Princess Cana, and one day, she will come home."

The redhead suddenly felt ill. "…I've….got to go."

"Of course." Gensei inclined his head. "If you need anythi—"

His guest was already gone. She left the small dining hall and headed back to her room.

The old man sighed as Hinoka left earshot.

"….I'm too old for this shit."

* * *

 **Selena appears to be turning into Bran Stark right now. If you're having trouble visualising her 'dream sequences', they're something along the lines of Bran's visions.**

 **Also,** **The Palazzo Di'Arance is (loosely) based off of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.**

* * *

 **Historical Logs: Silas Teague**

 _Amongst the most famous members in the history of the Havenite Royal Blades was also the first, Silas Teague. As the youngest of five children (and the fourth son) born to Bradley Teague (Duke of Mons, Northern Nohr), Silas was unlikely to inherit his family seat. So he threw himself into training under the Nohrian Army, eventually serving as squire to the future Highlord, Gunter Coburg._

 _Around -2 n.h.c, he fell in with King Corrin I, serving as a guardian to the later King Shigure whilst Corrin put the finishing touches to his now famous 'Grand Illusion'. The relationship between Silas and Shigure would remain strong throughout the years, until the year 21 n.h.c. He would serve as a Go-Between for Corrin and the various factions that formed the Kingdom of Haven during the Invasion of Valla in 0 n.h.c._

 _In the year 3 n.h.c, he married Princess Lilith Isauros, sister to King Corrin. Little over a year later, Lilith gave birth to a daughter, Sophie. She would be the only child of the marriage._

 _After the death of Highlord Gunter in 4 n.h.c, King Corrin promoted Silas as his replacement. In fact, i_ _t was actually Highlord Silas's idea to form the Royal Blades, as an elite guard representing to best and most versatile warriors Haven has, answering only to the monarch._

 _..._

 _\- Excerpt from the book "A History of Heroes", written by Munakata Kaito, circa year 245 n.h.c (New Haven Calendar)_


	34. Chapter 34: Stealing Home, Part 4

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

It was on her why back to her room that Hinoka came across a woman in a blue dress robe, overlooking the gardens as a group of children played. Her daughter was playing with her cousins, along with Ophelia, Selkie and Velouria. Gensei's own grandchildren had also joined them, not in the least bit intimidated or awed by the Royal children and the children of Royal Blades.

"Gensei's gardens are beautiful, are they not?" She commented calmly as the Pegasus Knight approached. "Hoshidan plants are amongst my favourites. And the children appear to like them too."

"What are you talking about?" Hinoka glared. " _Who_ are you?"

Lilith greeted her with a respectful curtsey. "Princess Hinoka. It is an honour to meet you. I'm Li-, _Princess_ Lilith. _"_

"You are the one claiming to be Corrin's sister." Hinoka snapped, almost without thinking.

Lilith smiled, keeping her tone even. "I _am_ Corrin's _half-sister_ , which is a fact, not a claim. We share a father. So unfortunately, you cannot claim I 'stole' him."

Hinoka scowled. "He should have grown up with _us!_ Nohr stole him for _us!_ He should _never_ have even met you! _"_

"And what would Hoshido have done if I had shown up at Shirasagi declaring that I was Corrin's sister?" What would you have done then?" The Havenite Princess queried. "Would Mikoto have taken me in? Would you have accepted me as a sister? Would I have had a _home?"_

"Of course!" Hinoka cried "Why ever wouldn't you be?!"

"You truly believe that, don't you?" Lilith sighed sadly. Part of her _wanted_ to believe her, believe that could have had a happy life had things gone differently. Then her eyes fell upon her daughter playing into the garden,

Apropos of nothing, the room, nay, the entire city shook. It rattled windows and roof tiles and market stalls. Havenites throughout the city were caught off guard for a few moments, but soon returned to their activities. Like Hoshido, Haven occasionally suffered from minor earthquakes (although Haven's earthquakes were caused by repeated use of the so-called 'Portal Dust').

Lilith remained unconcerned, as did the children, much to the shock of Hinoka. Noticing her worry, Lilith sought to calm her. "That will be the Northern Fortress being moved from Nohr to our Kingdom." She explained "They got the method to work."

"That's impossible." Hinoka glared after regaining her footing. "It can't be done."

"You assume much, Princess. We're far more advanced than I think you realise." Lilith lectured. "Haven is comprised of dozens peoples with equally numerous ideas. We look at things that are 'impossible' and ask, _why?_ Why is this impossible? Just because someone _decades_ ago said it can be done doesn't mean it _can't_ be done _now._ "

"Hoshido has had the best scholar's in the history of Sigal! We would have found a way if there was one!"

"That is the main weakness of Hoshido, Princess. You're stagnant. Unwilling to change with the modern world. It may well be your downfall."

"Then what do I do?" Hinoka snarled, hiding her growing desperation. "Tell me! Tell me how to prevent my peoples downfall!... _please!_ "

"Stay here." Lilith replied bluntly. "And learn."

She gestured to the two boys in the garden. "Those are Corrin and Azura's sons. Cana's brothers. You and your Kingdom stole their sister. Think on that."

She continued, not allowing Hinoka to speak. "You spent your whole life training to get Corrin back, and failed. You then spent eight years pretending to be my niece's _mother._ The only reason you aren't in a deep, dark cell being experimented on by Dorian Erised is due to the stellar job you've done raising Cana."

Hinoka was silent as her eyes fell on the children as they happily kicked around a leather ball. Staying meant treason. Treason, or death. If she refused, she would almost certainly be tortured.

 _But I could protect him. Stop him from doing too much damage to my people._

"…I…need to think."

Lilith offered her a polite nod, before, with a big grin on her face, strode into the garden to join the children in their games, leaving the foreign princess alone with her thoughts.

 _Was it ever right, to commit treason to protect those you betray?_

* * *

"You're serious?" Ryoma slumped into his throne as Saizo knelt before him. "You're certain?"

"Completely, Your Majesty." Saizo replied obediently. "The thief was not an agent of King Xander. It is probable that she is an agent of _the traitor."_

"..Then why did she spare Takumi?" Ryoma pondered aloud.

Saizo stood up. "If I might make a suggestion, it would make sense to keep a…destabilising force alive in an enemy state. Stealing the Fujin Yumi would also make sense, stealing a legendary, and culturally important weapon. It both gives them a powerful weapon, and, when it gets out, it will damage the Hoshidan public's view of the Royal Family."

The King smiled. Saizo, whilst an utterly useless diplomat, believing wholeheartedly in the old theory of Hoshidan Superiority, was pathologically loyal to him. The advice he had given over the years had been solid, if a little coloured in its viewpoint. It was also why he had sent Saizo to spy on Takumi. "All good points. Make sure this news does not get out. We cannot have more instability breaking out now."

"As you decree, Your Majesty."

The doors of the throne rooms opened, and a single figure strode in. Both men turned to face the newcomer.

"What news of Hinoka, Saizo?" Came the figures stern voice. Striding down the throne room was a tall, stern looking woman. A Kinshi Knight. Both men recognised her instantly, dull surprise on their faces. It had pained Ryoma to see her change over the past few years. For whereas Elise had found her faith, Sakura had _lost_ hers. Her faith in the Dawn Dragon, in Hoshido, in _him._ It had hurt him immeasurably the day she had departed the Priesthood.

"We don't know, Your Highness." Saizo admitted. "She went to investi-"

"She went into something that was obviously a trap, and low behold, it was a trap." Sakura snapped. "Yes?"

Saizo nodded. "Yes, Your Highness."

"I see." The Knight turned and strode back towards the doors again.

"What is it you intend to do, Sister?" Ryoma inquired.

"I will act." Sakura declared, shooting a glare at her brother. "Since you are clearly unwilling to bring war against our wayward brother Takumi, _I shall,_ Your Majesty _."_

 _"_ Take Tsubaki and Hana with you." Ryoma demanded carefully. "Tsubaki especially."

"He sired a bastard daughter, Your Majesty. It is only by your grace I allow him to remain my retainer." Sakura snarled. It was a half truth. Little Caeldori had been dumped on the Mishakuji Estate with a letter explaining that she was the child of the 'perfect' scion of the next generation, Tsubaki. Without proof either way, the young girl had been taken in, although her father had been disgraced. This disgrace had extended to Princess Sakura, Tsubaki's royal liege. He had proven a good, if distant father to Caeldori, who all but idolised him.

"Regardless, my demand stands."

"Fine, as you decree."

Without waiting for permission to leave, Princess Sakura departed.

* * *

 **Historical Logs: Morgan Di Augustina**

 _Second daughter of the last true King of Plegia, Lady Morgan grew up in a time of unprecedented peace between Plegia and its neighbour, Ylisse._

 _Whilst most of Lady Morgan's personal life before the founding of the Kingdom of Haven is mostly lost, with only a few accounts of them remaining, a few dates do stick out. It is known that she was engaged to Prince Owain Lowell at the age of fifteen and the betrothal held until it became clear that there would be no peaceful settlement to the Third Plegia-Ylisse War. It is also known that she led a number of battles during the war. She fell pregnant in the last few months of the war, reportedly by Prince Owain. Their romance would later inspire Roland Di Campari's now famous play "Renata and Julius"._

 _In approximately -1 n.h.c, she gave birth to a daughter, Ophelia. As the girl was born out of wedlock, she was given the 'linename' (the Plegian equivalent of surnames) 'Di Owain'._

 _She would join the Royal Blades in 5 n.h.c, the year the order was founded. She'd become fast friends with Queen Azura, and would become one of the primary tutors of Crown Prince Shigure._

 _It was around 6 n.h.c that she helped found the Order of Dark Fliers, an elite wing of the Pegasus Knights. They'd earn fame and infamy in equal measure during the War of Three Thrones._

…

 _Excerpt from the book "A History of Heroes", written by Munakata Kaito, circa year 245 n.h.c_


	35. Chapter 35: Stealing Home, Part 5

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

It had been an innocent request. Marc had asked Nyx to look after his niece whilst he and Morgan were in the field with King Corrin. She had assumed that it would be easy. They'd settle down and read books in the library, and the day would be quiet and peaceful.

 _Unfortunately,_ Ophelia was twelve, and like most twelve year olds, she needed a proper break every now and then.

This led to the pair walking into the city to go to one of the many eateries spread throughout Grandhaven. Whilst they did look more like sisters (albeit adoptive sisters), Nyx enjoyed the comfortable atmosphere between them.

Ophelia broke away, dashed ahead.

"Slow down, Little Star." She called out. No one quite knew where that nickname had come from, but it had stuck.

Ophelia beamed as she skipped ahead of her, an affectionate smile crossed Nyx's face. The young girl didn't seem to mind that she was a fre-…no, not a freak. Marc made that clear. She was Nyx. She was _not_ a freak.

And she was happy.

Ophelia loved the city, so many people, smells, _things!_ She also loved going out like this, especially with Auntie Nyx. She had such interesting stories to tell (which were eventually complied into a book), and was a good teacher too!

Something caught her eye in a nearby alley. She slowed, and, with typical twelve year old curiosity, went to investigate.

"AUNTIE!"

Hearing Ophelia cry out, Nyx dashed as fast as she could into the alley.

Lying before them both, clearly unconscious, was a blonde man. Nyx noted that, despite the yellow and red colouring, it was plain to see that he was a Dark Mage.

"W-We have to help him, right?"

Looking at the concerned look on the twelve year olds face, Nyx sighed. There was little choice in the matter.

"..Yes, Little Star, we do."

* * *

Unimpeded, the Imperial Army marched into the Flame Tribe Settlement, the air filled by the pounding war drums and the feet of countless warriors. Carried in a palanquin, 'Emperor' Takumi wore armour that had once belonged to his father. He wore it proudly, but most, even amongst his own supporters thought it mocking, blatantly disrespecting the much beloved Sumeragi. Resting against him was an ornately decorated Naginata. The shaft was made of a fine, dark wood with gold and jade decoration. The blade shone, almost as though it had never been used, and was sharp enough that it all but sang when it cut through the air. His thoughts turned to his Moth-.. _Step-mother._ Mikoto was still an inspiration to him, even after all these years, and Ryoma's allowance of the growing Nohrian influence was an _insult_ to her memory.

His thoughts were interrupted by the palanquin was lowered to the ground. He glanced out, and was greeted by an empty settlement.

"The cowards have fled before our might. Joyous news." Takumi smiled broadly, and stepped out of his palanquin. "The village is ours!"

"Wrong!"

Stood on her balcony, heavy maul in hand, was Rinkah. Her eyes alight with loathing.

"You should not have come here, Takumi." She declared. "This is your only warning."

Her foe let out a harsh laugh. "You jest. Funny."

The Flame Chief slammed her maul down onto the wooden floor beneath her like a gavel.

As if on cue, a wall of flame tore across the main square, all but cooking the first few ranks of soldiers in their armour, forcing other Hoshidan's to step over the still smoking corpses of their fellows. The Flame Tribe, whilst small in number, were utterly ruthless when dealing with their foes.

Vaulting herself from the balcony, the Flame Chief landed with an almost pained roar. Gripping her maul and pointing it toward Takumi's forces, she let over voice be carried across the square.

"NOW!"

Following this and screaming like a banshee, Rinkah threw herself toward the enemy, soon joined by the rest of her warriors, hidden in the buildings. The Flame Tribe crashed into the Imperialists with fire and iron. Caught off guard, the Hoshidan's fumbled for their weapons, only at the very last second managing to ready their shields.

Mauls crashed against armour, katana and naginata sliced at flesh. The countless voices screaming and shouting mingled into one, creating the awful din only found on a battlefield. To his credit, Takumi didn't let is soldiers do his fighting for him, he was right there with them, slicing a path through the Tribesmen with his naginata. Much like her counterpart, Rinkah and her people fought like demons, seemingly uncaring when their friends fell beside them. They were already dead to them, after all.

Within the wild melee, one warrior engaged the Emperor in combat, smashing his maul against Takumi's naginata. The Emperor strained against his enemies strength. He broke away, and sneered at his foe. He charged again, and, once close enough, swung his weapon and sliced open his foes belly. Thrusting forward, Takumi speared him like a fish. Turning his gaze to her through the crowds, he grinned broadly at Rinkah.

Howling with rage, the Flame Chief collided with the Emperor, knocking him to the ground. She raised her maul over his chest, ready for the killing blow.

Behind her, one of the Imperial Samurai crept towards her, with his blade drawn. Rinkah howled in pain as a katana was thrust through her knee from behind. Around her the world slowly began to quieten. Her attacker held her down, for icing her to watch helplessly as the Imperialist seized the upper hand and soon slaughtered her people.

"You do not have honour!" She snarled as Takumi rose to his feet again.

"Did you expect a fair fight? You are not Hoshidan, therefore honour is not something you are _worthy_ of. You should not have denied our offer, Savage..." Takumi grinned. "You barbarians need the order and peace that only the Hoshidan Empire can bring."

"Just kill me already. Anything's better than putting up with your speeches."

The false Emperor let out a harsh laugh. "Kill you? Why would I simply _kill_ you? You will be made an example of. You denied _my_ glory."

A shocked silence fell over the Imperialists.

"Your Majesty…we _can't."_ Hiro, the leader of the archers protested. "It isn't right.."

His smile fading, Takumi wheeled round and, using his naginata as an axe, promptly decapitated the rebellious commander. Looking around, a wild look in his brown eyes, he soon realised all eyes were on him.

"Anyone else?!" He screeched.

"No." Came a voice that grew ever closer.

Striding across the dead and dying, his once blue hair turned silver by the passage of time, was Yukimura. A faint smile rested on his face. It honestly amazed him that, out of all the children of the _traitorous_ Mikoto, it was Takumi that was the one that had proven the most malleable, the easiest to manipulate into becoming the single greatest success. It had taken nearly three decades, but he could _finally_ fulfil his orders. That wretched incompetent Iago might have been entrusted with Nohr, but he had been entrusted with ensuring the _entirety_ of the great ones plans. He had arranged the 'Peace Summit' with Iago, the kidnapping of Azura, and the cessation of all trade and diplomacy with Nohr. He also had planned to kill Mikoto, but Corrin had beat him to it. Whilst, _technically,_ her death was suicide, it was obvious (at least to those in the know) that she had been tricked into it. Soon enough though, the unending peace of silence would reign, just as the Great One intended.

"No one will question you, O'glorious Emperor."

A look of relief crossed Takumi's face. "Yukimura, thank the Dawn Dragon you're here."

Keeping a smile on his face the Advisor inclined his head. "Where else would I be, my Emperor?"

The Emperor laughed, and walked up to his side. "Nowhere else, of course. You wished to discuss something with me, yes? A new religion that could grant me power and divinity?"

"Correct." Yukimura smiled. "I am always willing to discuss great Anankos, Your Majesty."

Glancing back at Rinkah, Takumi grinned. "Then how would Anankos's Doctrine punish _her?"_

An unusually cruel grin crossed the advisor's face.

"The method is called _haritsuke_.."

* * *

 **Historical Logs: Keaton Perrault**

 _Hailing from a Wolfskin village in south-eastern Nohr, Keaton was born into a secret world, unseen by outsiders. Technically speaking, Wolfskin do not have surnames. Rather, they take the name of their birth village, in Keaton's case, Perrault._

 _Perrault was relatively small compared to other Wolfskin settlements, and often suffered from attacks by larger Settlements. Keaton was young when he came to lead his settlement, even younger than King Corrin was when he wrested Old Valla from the silent Dragon and founded Haven, a mere seventeen years old._

 _He sired a daughter, Velouria in 2 n.h.c. Two years later, he led his people into the Havenite Peoples. Soon becoming one of the most personable of the Royal Blades, he often brought issues from the commoners to the then King, Corrin I._

 _About a decade after his death, the treasures he collected over his life became part of a museum dedicated to the court of Corrin I._

 _Excerpt from the book "A History of Heroes", written by Munakata Kaito, circa year 245 n.h.c._


	36. Chapter 36: Interlude 3

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

"He'll be fine, Little Star."

Ophelia had been concerned about the 'mysterious stranger', and it was only with the promise of cake that Nyx managed to remove her 'niece' from the Main Guard Office, where they had taken Odin. Nyx, however, was concerned. She knew full well who the Man was, and did not wish to be the one to reveal the truth to the young girl. Not only would it ruin her relationship with Marc (which she truly treasured), it could potentially mess Ophelia up mentally. Given how badly Corrin had turned out due to his own childhood, anything she could do to minimise Ophelia's problems, the better.

"Promise?" The girl asked.

"…I promise." The woman lied. She couldn't know if it was true or not. Luckily however, Ophelia didn't catch the lie, and promptly threw herself at Nyx, hugging her tightly.

"Thank you Auntie!"

Nyx had adapted well to her 'Aunthood', as Morgan had worded it. She was probably the only one outside Morgan's immediate family that was trusted with Ophelia. It helped that Ophelia adored her (and in turn, Nyx adored her, often spoiling her). In turn for this trust (in addition to making Marc happy), Morgan helped Nyx become the royal tutor, educating Shigure and Caleb in everything from mathematics to the different cultures of Haven. Both of the Prince's respected her for her patient, if at times stern approach. This also drew her into the inner circle of the Queen. She cherished the time she had with her 'Little Star', and both loathed and was thankful for her curse, whilst it had extended her life well beyond that which was normal, she couldn't deny that because of it, she had found a home, a family..

Due to this, it came as little surprise to herself that she led the Plegian girl into a bakery. A bell jingled as the pair entered, the dark haired woman behind the counter turned her glance to them, and a warm smile slowly formed on her face.

"Not often I get new faces here." Merry greeted them, exaggerating her accent. "Welcome to my bakery. I'm Merry!"

"Oh! Are you Plegian too?" Ophelia asked cheerfully, her eyes widening with curiosity as she hurried over to the counter.

"Born and raised in Navarra." Merry allowed false pride to lace her voice as the lie easily left her mouth. "In Nerja, across the bay from the Palazzo D'Santiago."

"Oh?!" Ophelia tilted her head. "C-Can you tell me about the homeland?"

An almost sincere wave of reminiscence washed over the ancient being.

"Another time perhaps, Sweet Child. And besides…. _Haven_ is the homeland now, no?"

Nyx sighed, and ushered Ophelia off to look around. Whilst Ophelia looked over the cakes and pastries, Nyx got talking with the proprietor.

"So…forgive my curiosity." Merry grinned. "But how did you come to suffer a….. _unique_ curse?"

"How did you-"

"Anyone with at least _half_ a brain could tell you've been cursed, love." Merry smiled. "Since I have an entire brain, it's plain to see. Can't quite put my finger on the correct curse though, botany and thaumaturgy were more my thing."

"I…see." Nyx sighed. "….I'd..rather not discuss the how. I deserved it, however."

Merry waved a hand, as if batting away her worries. "Frankly, that's horseshit. No one _deserves_ to suffer such a curse. How long've you had it?"

"….I am two hundred and forty eight. I was…fifteen when I was cursed."

The Baker sighed. "I'll see what I can do." It wasn't a lie.

Opening her mouth to respond, Nyx was stopped when Ophelia came over with her choice. Choosing silence, and after placing a pair of silver argents on the counter, Nyx led Ophelia out, glancing back at Merry with a small smile.

Merry's eyes glinted with well disguised glee as the pair departed her store.

Now _this…_ this was most interesting indeed.

Maybe she should keep an eye on her _adorable_ niece...

* * *

Niles whistled cheerfully as he walked through the halls of Governor Blackhart's Palace, paying little attention to the servants going about, doing their daily duties. The archer arrived at his Lord's office. Prince Leo maintained an office in his Father-In-Law's Palace. The walls were covered by bookcases, all of which were full. His desk was made of the solid dark wood that the Nohrian Royals preferred, and almost always had a stack of paperwork on it, along with whatever book the Prince was currently reading, and a crystal decanter of brandy with two glasses. Finally, in pride of place on the wall behind him, was the official Royal Portrait of his beloved wife, Aveline.

As Niles entered the room, his Prince looked up, a frown on his face.

"What did you tell Corrin?" Leo questioned.

"All I told him was 'Hinoka'. Don't really see the problem."

"It's a state secret!" The blonde snapped.

The archer raised an eyebrow. "Really? One word is a state secret? I sent a potential enemy sniffing after Hoshido and away from _us._ I don't see the problem. _"_

The Green Prince let out an amused laugh. "I see. That was very inventive of you, Niles."

"I try."

Standing up, Leo turned to look out of the window, and almost immediately narrowed his gaze at the sight below him. The girl Niles had brought with him was now chasing his Son...

"What….is that girl doing?"

The archer sighed. " _Nina_ is playing with your son."

"I need a drink." Leo declared wearily.

"Are you suggesting my daughter is a bad influence on Prince Forrest?" Niles asked as he filled both glasses with brandy from the decanter. He strode around the desk, and handed one of the glasses over.

"She's not your daughter yet." Leo pointed out.

"…Are you suggesting my _soon to be_ daughter is a bad influence on Prince Forrest?" Niles corrected himself with a smirk.

"Possibly."

"I'm hoping _he'll_ be a good influence on _her."_ Niles sighed as he headed back to the other side of the desk. "Have some of that _princely charm_ rub off on her.."

Leo pushed a parchment across it, and gestured for Niles to read. Clearly, the time for jokes was over.

"This is a report from Specialist Zola. I had him infiltrate Haven."

"And?"

Leo sighed. "Corrin's been clever. His citizens want for all but nothing, and any crimes are dealt with by a competent City Guard. It's commanded by Felicia, one of his former Maids, if you can believe it. Homelessness is non-existent as anyone that files for such a state is recruited into said Guard and given food and a bed whilst they get back on their feet. The different cultures all have a voice in a 'council' in a vague mockery of the Nestrian Grand Chamber. Said cultures appear to have been chosen deliberately, as none of them had conflicts with another 'Havenite People', with the possible exception being the Greyshield Nohrians and the Akaikusa Hoshidans. Even then, the cultures that join the Havenite's rarely have other options left to them, the demand that they put aside any old hatreds is of little consequence."

"Doing little to make him sound like a mad villain from Children's tales, Lord Leo."

His Prince shrugged. "I can't help it. I wouldn't be surprised if he's waiting for Nohr and Hoshido to rip each other to shreds before making his move."

"….Shut up and drink your booze." Niles jokingly ordered. "You're being paranoid."

"Have you never heard the old adage, Niles? 'Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it'. Perhaps it is time we think on these words, and on our actions. History teaches us a lot, and if we aren't careful, we're about to learn a very harsh lesson indeed..."

"….Okay, _really._ Shut up and drink already."

* * *

 **Historical Log: Kaden Kadensen**

 _The son of the Kisune leader of Nishiki Hamlet, Kaden grew up as the eldest child of a large set of siblings._ _Following in the tradition of his people, he took the surname "Kadensen", or "Kaden's Son"._

 _His people joined the Havenites during the spring of 6 n.h.c to much fanfare on the part of the Kitsune. Whilst it was their position to distrust humans, they soon accepted the offer to uproot themselves from their small hamlet after a truly massive bandit raid was repelled by Havenite forces under Highlord Silas Teague. Proving himself a ferocious warrior, Kaden joined the Royal Blades shortly after leading his people into Haven. The reason for the fanfare is due to the Kitsune concept of loyalty: It is exceptionally hard to gain, and near impossible to lose._

 _Sometime prior to 6 n.h.c, he sired a daughter, Selkie Kadensdottir, later a Royal Blade to King Shigure in her own right._

 _He would later perish in the War of Three Thrones._

 _-Excerpt from the book "A History of Heroes", written by Munakata Kaito, circa year 245 n.h.c._


	37. Chapter 37: Stealing Home, Part 6

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

 _The sky was burning, choked by clouds of smoke and the whimpers of the dying. For whatever reason, this was the next memory Grima was forcing Severa to experience._

" _What is this?" Selena asked quietly as she surveyed the landscape. Realisation dawned on her that she was in eastern Plegia, what had once been farmland. "Why are we here?"_

" _You are about to witness something that will cause you a great deal of grief." Grima explained, an apologetic look on his face. "But I have little doubt it will help to explain a great deal."_

 _Slumped against a tree, a mortal wound ripped into his side was King Robin of Plegia. His life's blood seeping from it. He was dying, and he knew it. Chrom had got him with that damned blade in the end._

" _Grima…"_

 _Seemingly walking into existence, the spectral younger Grima knelt by the dying King. He appeared to be a duplicate of the King, albeit with shining red eyes._

" _I'm sorry…i-it's up to them now..."_

" _Easy now." The Fell Dragon murmured. "Do you have any final requests?"_

" _I have..but one.."_

" _What is it you request of me, old friend?" Grima asked quietly._

" _Severa!" Robin wheezed out. "….She's alone in the world now. Alone and forsaken….I ask…beseech you, my friend. Protect and watch over her…and...l-let her know of my f-forgiveness.."_

 _Grima smiled warmly. "Of course, she is as much my daughter as yours. Rest now Robin, your Queen awaits you, and you've kept her waiting for far too long."_

 _Nodding one last time, the last true King of Plegia looked up at the sky and let out a final, exhausted sigh._

" _..C-Cordie…"_

 _Lowering his head in profound respect and in mourning his close companion, Grima started to walk away. He could follow Robin into death now, couldn't he?_

 _It was tempting, Grime had to admit. But he had given his word. What was a few more years against the time he had already existed, after all?_

* * *

It was the sounds of battle that woke the would-be Emperor. He had taken up residence in the Chief's hut. It wasn't exactly befitting for the Emperor of Hoshido, but it would suffice for now.

Rinkah's body was still tied to the cross that they had erected in the middle of the village square. A pair of kunai had been thrust through her wrists, which cut into her when she struggled. Of course, such a brutal manner of death hadn't sat well with all of his troops, and, in the night, an arrow had been shot into her heart by one archer, mercifully ending her life quickly.

Takumi had had the Archer flogged for his insolence.

He threw himself out of bed and stormed onto the balcony. Beneath him, it appeared that the Flame Tribesman that had been slain and left to rot were now slaughtering his own soldiers.

"What the hell is going on?!" The Emperor roared. "Who's attacking?!"

No one could answer him, for they were fighting for their lives. The enemy had attacked at night, so his soldiers were utterly unprepared for when the dead attacked. Many fell quickly, killed in their drunken sleep, but were now fighting back with whatever they could find.

Storming down into the square, he looked around wildly, and soon his eyes fell upon a group striding across the square, ignoring the hell around them. At their head, a dark haired man in blue and white armour. An eyepatch covered his left eye. On his, and the rest of the group all wore teal cloaks with a black ring with a white centre.

Corrin offered a cheery wave.

"Hello Takumi!"

"YOU! Why are you here?! What are you doing?!"

"Oh, it's very simple. We're going to use your dead to attack Nohr and spark a war the likes of which Sigal hasn't seen since the days of Iskandar. All thanks to you, dear brother."

"I AM NOT YOUR BROTHER!" Takumi screamed, and slashed at the King with his naginata.

Corrin caught Takumi's naginata with Raijinto and sneered. " _No._ You aren't. You _never_ have been. You and your kin _lied._ "

Then Corrin looked to his Blades. "Wipe them out…and someone cut Rinkah down."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Departing his side, the Blades started to go on the attack, with Castor and Pollux quickly losing themselves in the slaughter.

Only his squire remained at his side, Molin threatening Takumi with his simple steel blade.

Lightning crackled across Raijinto's surface, and Corrin let out a laugh. He pointed the famed blade at Takumi, and grinned. Molin then launched an attack, slashing at Takumi in the manner used only by green recruits. The Emperor slammed Molin aside with the shaft of his naginata. The Taguel cried out, and fell to the ground.

"Ha! Pitiful rabbit!"

Turning his gaze at the Taguel for a few seconds, Takumi left a sense of delight. This boy was likely much liked by Corrin, and if causing pain to him caused pain to Corrin, then that was worth it.

His gaze returned to Corrin, and brought his weapon up swiftly, Raijinto nearly taking his head off.

There they fought, sparks flying. Rage on Takumi's face, cold concentration on Corrin's. Whilst he could be mad, cheery and warm, when it came to duelling, Corrin often went into a calm sense of mind, focusing solely on his foe.

Soon, Corrin's eye fell on his squire, and smiled. He leapt back, enjoying the shocked look on the Emperor's face for a few moments. Takumi then started to scream as Molin's blade snapped in his leg. He fell to the ground, and writhed in agony.

The King knelt down, taking Takumi's naginata from his side. He stared at it for a few moments, before offering it to Molin.

"I appear to have cost you your weapon, Molin. Apologies. Take this as a replacement"

"I thank you, Majesty." The young boy said earnestly, although the Taguel frankly looked a little ill after his first real experience of combat. Fifteen year olds weren't normally meant to be on the battlefield, after all.

"You did well, Molin." Corrin told in, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Be proud."

"Th-Thank you sir." Molin whispered.

Corrin looked down at the fallen Emperor. His Blades soon returned to his side, Castor and Pollux drenched in red, their dyed purple hair matted with sweat and mud and blood.

"Where is Cana, Takumi?"

"Dead!" Takumi sneered through bloodied teeth. "Your whelp is a fucking corpse! Along with all these _filthy s_ avages!"

Rage overtook the King now, he launched his arm forward, twisting it into the whip-like appendage which looped around Takumi's throat. He squeezed and squeezed, lifting him up off of the ground. "Then you die too."

"You can't!"

Modred's words escaped him before he realised what he was saying. As the eyes of his fellow Blades fell upon him, he cleared his throat, and composed himself.

"If you kill him here, Majesty, you deprive yourself and your people of _justice."_ Mordred advised. "Killing him now is little more than murder… _butchery."_

The Havenite King slammed Takumi onto the ground and, seething, retracted his arm.

"Take him then." Corrin snapped. "Our people want to see justice done. Takumi was complicit in Cana's kidnapping, and I doubt Ryoma will waste more men to get his head after this genocide. Thank you Mordred. I would have acted hastily and in anger."

"It would have been understandable, my King."

"What do we do with this place?" Morgan asked.

Before Corrin could answer, a truly massive fireball screamed across the square, igniting the hut, the inferno quickly eating the wood and rich rugs inside.

Tiene, the former Chieftain limped towards the group.

"You let us die." He demanded.

Keaton raised an eyebrow. "You want to die? Truly?"

"I'm an old man." He snapped. "I've just witnessed my people wiped out. The oldest people in Sigal! The last of the natives! Wiped out by _him."_ Teine gestured at Takumi's prone form. "I am tired. I am facing the end of my culture. If I am to die, I will go to the next world with my daughter."

Kaden looked at Rinkah's remains. He had been the one that had got her down. He could imagine the type of woman she had been in life. Looking at her and her father now, he could understand what Tiene was saying.

"Your daughter is Kana, yes?"

"She is….was." Corrin murmured.

"She is on her way to the Wind Tribe's main settlement. She's not dead, as far as I am aware. Takumi lied to you.."

Bending down, he scooped his daughter's body up into his arms. She had been the only child the Spirits had let him keep. A curious little child, always running and laughing and playing with her friends (and avoiding her tutors). She had done him proud, a true Flame Chief.

In silence, Corrin and the Blades watched the old man stride into the flames, cradling his daughter. With nary a sound, he allowed the fire to consume them both. Then Marc, still controlling the Flame Tribe dead, marched the rest of them in, granting them a somewhat dignified final end. Corrin nodded in appreciation. They had been too late, both for Cana and the Tribe. It was only right that they saw to it that their journey to the next life was proper. The fact that they did not require Flame Tribesmen for the next stage of the plan was an unspoken bonus.

"Loki?" Corrin began, breaking the near reverent silence.

The giant of an Ice Tribesman glanced at Corrin. He was a triumph of Dorian Erised's genius, a ruthless, silent giant. Curiously, the man had actually _volunteered_ for the treatments.

"Find the one that betrayed us. It is time he paid for his crimes." He decreed. "Find the one that reveal our existence to Hoshido and bring him to Haven."

Loki nodded, and, bathed in a cloud of cold mist, he stalked away into the forests.

"Why do you keep him around again?" Pollux asked as he approached, his twin at his side as always. "I find him a tad unsettling."

"That's funny, coming from the man fucking his own sister." Morgan chimed in, grinning as she ducked out of the way of Castor's retaliatory strike.

He's good conversation." The King answered.

Emi allowed a bemused expression to cross her face. "He's mute."

"Exactly. Now, let's begin." Corrin grinned. "Lord Marc, if you would?"

The Plegian Lord allowed a monetary look of disgust to cross his face, one shared with Silas, before turning to face the scores of dead, and, after taking a deep breath, raised his hands.

" **IGNIS** _ **HECATE!**_ **"**

* * *

 **Historical Logs: Molin the Taguel**

 _The Taguel people were rescued on the initiative of Marc and Morgan Di Augustina in 6 n.h.c, driven to the point of near extinction, the DI Augustina's managed to save all but one of the last warren. As part of the integration, the then Elder of the Taguel, Satin, requested that the King take one of their number as a Ward._

 _The Taguel that was chosen for the prestigious position was Molin. The young boy was an orphan, and was initially wary of the King and all humans. But the King apparently treated him like a son, and soon won his loyalty. In fact, Molin would become known as the most fanatically loyal of Corrin I's Royal Blades._

 _-_ _Excerpt from the book "A History of Heroes", written by Munakata Kaito, circa year 245 n.h.c._


	38. Chapter 38

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

"You can't."

Hinoka stood before Corrin in his study, a scowl on her face. She had seen Takumi dragged into Haven in chains, screaming bloody murder and cursing every 'foul follower of the traitor' to a painfully drawn out end. She had stormed into the room without proper announcement or grace, and demanded that Takumi be freed immediately.

Corrin looked up from his work, and raised a tired eyebrow. "Why?"

"He's your br-… _step-_ brother!"

"Tell me Hinoka." Corrin leant forward across his desk. "Given his crimes include rebelling against his rightful liege, proclaiming himself 'Emperor of Hoshido', and the _genocide_ of the Flame Tribe _,_ how the hell am I meant to forgive him and grant him pardon?"

"You're the King!" She cried desperately. "You-"

"I am still beholden to the law." Corrin snapped. "This is not Hoshido, Nobles and Royals cannot simply push their crimes under the rug here in my Kingdom."

"That doesn't happen!"

"You have a disturbing propensity for believing Hoshido can do no wrong. But if you can _prove_ that Takumi is either insane or possessed, I will accept that and merely imprison him until such a time that his mental state can be described as 'sane'. Otherwise, we will be executed alongside Head Priest Skald and the man who sold Cana to you. I can spare you one week, that's all."

The Hoshidan Princess went silent, and turned to leave. "How do you execute criminals in Haven?"

With a straight face, Corrin answered her. "We open their bellies up and let the crows feast on their innards."

Hinoka let out a whimper, and Corrin allowed a grin to form on his face.

"..I kid. A simple beheading. Quick and fairly dignified." He told her. "A method almost universally used by the peoples of Haven prior to the Kingdom's founding."

"I see…"

"Hinoka?" He asked quietly. "Why are you still here? Setsuna is well enough to leave, and her daughter still awaits her return you know."

The Hoshidan Princess went silent in thought. "I do not know…"

"Then decide." He told her in a commanding tone. "Here or home. Hoshido or Haven. It's up to you. If you choose Hoshido I will grant you and Lady Setsuna safe passage. Should you choose to stay however, you must understand that I will not show favouritism over Nohr or Hoshido. True, I've dealt with Nohr with a more 'silken' hand, but that is about to change."

Without another word, Hinoka left Corrin alone, she didn't want to know what that meant. The man sighed wearily.

"It's too early for this shit. Where's Jakob with my tea?"

* * *

Niles whistled cheerfully as he sauntered into Leo's office. His Lord appeared to be packing up the papers on his desk.

"You summoned me, Lord Leo?"

"Niles." Leo sighed, without looking back at him. "We are leaving for the capital come morning."

"Is that all? Y'know you could've just told me in the morning, Lord Leo."

"….Nina will also be joining us."

Niles grinned. "I thought that was a given?"

"Forrest will be with us as well."

The archer's grin widened. "Finally getting off your ass and being a father, eh?"

"Shut up. There is another matter. Unfortunately, your Dulham Mill is too small a plot of land for an outright Lordship. However, both you and Xander's retainer Laslow have been granted patents of nobility. Laslow apparently is of noble stock in his homeland, so has been made Earl of the lands surrounding the Northern Fortress."

Hiding his amusement on how fast his Lord moved the conversation on, Niles decided to throw him a bone. "Meaning?"

"You are a Baron now. When we arrive in Anya, I will talk with the _Maitre Du Sang_ and get the girl…get Nina properly adopted under your name. "

"Who?"

The Prince sighed deeply. "The _Maitre Du Sang._ The man that tracks and chronicles Noble lines. A strange little man, frankly, spends more time around his books than I. But he's good at what he does…and he's a great-uncle of Camilla."

The archer shrugged, uncaring. "Any big changes that'd bring? Other than being a prissy Noble?"

"It is likely you'd be known as Baron Von Dulham, or Niles Von Dulham."

Niles' eye widened a little. "A surname, hm? I'm curious, what _is_ the royal family called? 'S your full name, my lord? I don't think I've ever asked."

"…Leonhardt Von Nohr."

There was a few moments of silence, before Niles let out a bark of laughter.

"I see why you shorten it."

* * *

Outside the walls of Grandhaven, in what was once just flat green grassland, now stood Nohr's Northern Fortress. Anna strode through its once cold, quiet halls, and listened to the sounds of rebuilding and redecorating. Corrin's old home was impressive, she had to admit.

Following barely three steps behind her were the two people that considered her the closest thing to a Mother they'd ever had. Castor and Pollux had dragged themselves out of the hell that was Nestra's streets after Queen Marzia's death, but at the cost of the near entirety of their mental stability. They now relied solely on their twin to remain even remotely stable. Pollux was the most emotionally and mentally stable of the two (which wasn't exactly saying much), with his sister Castor all but an addict of carnage and bloodshed. Unsurprisingly, the pair were close. Of course, the rumour many Havenite citizens believed was that their relationship went _further_ than just brother and sister. Whilst it _was_ true that they shared a bed most nights, they rarely indulged themselves further. Anna had found them in the Nestrian City of Venezia, when they tried to steal from her supply carts. They had had to be dragged before Anna under guard (and had fought like rabid beasts in the attempt, even blinding a few of the soldiers sent to capture them). The Red Head soon unofficially adopted them (even giving them new names), and whilst she did annoy them at times, Anna was the only one that the twins had any room in their hearts to love for aside from one another.

The trio entered what was once a private dining hall, and Anna gestured to a few of the chairs, ornate old things that should have been taken back to the Capital long before Haven 'stole' the fortress.

"Take a seat you two."

Whilst Pollux obediently followed her orders, his sister showed no such obedience.

"Why?" She asked in a bored tone.

"Cass I think-"

"Oh shush Pol. Come to bed, eh?" She cooed. "I'll make it worth your whi—"

"CASTOR! SIT YOUR ASS DOWN NOW!" Anna thundered, and the younger woman, shocked into silence, complied. "Good. We have things to discuss."

The male twin smiled faintly as his gaze settled on Anna. "Go on…"

"I need to borrow you both for a few days." The trader told them. "A great many barrels of powder need moved from the First Anna's home."

"Taking us home to see Great-Grandma? It's about time." Castor grinned. "Why do we need so much?"

"That is between myself and His Majesty." She told him. "At least for now."

Pollux sighed. "If it's anything to do with the Deeprealm's, you are surely aware I am required to know in my capacity as Eighth Blade."

"If His Majesty wishes to tell you, he will." Anna snapped. "For now Pollux, just know that this has been in the works for a number of years, and only got the go-ahead recently. We weren't sure it was possible to do it until we moved the Northern Fortress here."

Castor opened her mouth to speak, but Anna cut her off. "Look around this place, we'll need to figure out what to do with it. I want opinions."

"Understood. We'll see what we can come up with." Pollux nodded.

"Thank you Pol." With that, Anna left the twins alone. She allowed herself a broad grin as she walked away. Corrin was equal parts genius and insane, and his plan was still in motion. The amount of dust they'd need was unprecedented but necessary.

The Northern Fortress had been a good _trial run_ , after all.

* * *

 **Historical Logs: Sir Vlahos Mordred**

 _Born in Hoshido to a Nohrian refugee that saved the life of Daimyo Shimizu's son, Vlahos Mordred grew up in a manor house in the city of Fukuoka. The city would eventually become a key part of the Akaikusa rebellion (a rebellion started to remove Queen Regent Mikoto Isauros from power), and the then sixteen year old Mordred would serve in his Daimyo's (Kurume Kenta) army. After Daimyo Kurume's crushing defeat, the Akaikusa Rebels would flee into the mountains, living off of what they could scrounge together._

 _In – 1 n.h.c, the Akaikusa were contacted by Lady Anna, one of King Corrin I's greatest allies, and were taken to a field in Notre Sagasse, where they'd meet up with the other forces the woman had gathered. Mordred fought in the taking of Valla, and would be part of the first Royal Blades. He'd also cultivate a romantic relationship with Commander Felicia, the first commander of the city guard._

 _He'd later serve as a Royal Blade for King Shigure I._

 _Excerpt from the book "A History of Heroes", written by Munakata Kaito, circa year 245 n.h.c._

* * *

 **Anya is the same as Windmere, just with a different name. The reason for this is simple, when I uploaded that chapter in Darkworlds the English name for said capital hadn't been released yet.**


	39. Chapter 39

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

The Monster had come for him.

Henrik Gadrande had known that Haven would one day seek vengeance for his crimes, so had enjoyed everything life had to offer. As a Nohrian, he had never feasted as well as he had done in Hoshido, nor had he enjoyed the sun and summer as he had in his birth land. Whilst many of his servants and neighbours loathed him for his heritage, he remained dedicated to living life as he wished.

It started with a chill. That was what woke him. It was rare that Hoshido was cold this time of year. He sat up, and slid on a dressing robe discarded the previous evening.

"Guard? What's going on?"

When there was no response, he placed a hand on the man's shoulder to shake him. The guard fell forward, and shattered like glass. Henrik all but leapt back in shock and revulsion. He was accustomed to poisoning, that was after all, how 'the game' was played in both Nohr and Hoshido, but _this…._

Henrik opted to run and find more guards.

Ice crept slowly throughout his estate and the Monster's quiet footfalls fell upon the soft snow that had formed on the floors. It stalked the halls as silently as ever. Its eyes, like two shards of ice, fell upon the trio of men before him. Two guards, and their lord.

"Guards! Kill! Kill it!" Henrik screeched as he dived into his own chambers, slamming the doors closed and hurriedly locked the doors.

As the guards moved in, with their lances, the Monster launched its hands forward, gripping them by their necks. Without uttering a sound, ice left its fingers and soon enveloped the guard's heads. It didn't spare them a second thought as their heads shattered as they hit the ground. It advanced, smashing down the doors as though they were made of glass.

Henrik scrambled into the corner of his room, as the monster closed in, and it extended its hand towards him.

And then, all he felt was the cold.

* * *

The tavern was alive with music, laughter and the sounds of loud conversations. It was in the Plegian district, and the tones of her birth people calmed the ginger archer as she settled into her chair. Morgan finally dragged her out for a drink, and a talk.

A mug of mead with summer berries mixed in was slammed down before her, and the silver haired former Princess of Princess settled into the chair opposite, her own mug still in her hand.

"So." Her companion sighed.

"So."

"Emi, huh?" Morgan teased. "Interesting."

Noire shrugged. "Had to call myself something. Noire Di Julius-Juliana is known by her people as a traitor. Lady Emilia on the other hand, is known as a hero of the Havenites."

Morgan nodded in understanding, and gulped down some mead. She savoured the sharpness of the berries mixed with the sweetness of honey. She sighed, and set her mug down on the table.

"What happened Noire?" Morgan asked quietly. "After the war, you pretty much just vanished."

"I ran of course." The Archer sighed, sipping at her own drink. "You think I wished to slink back to you and the rest of our people? After I betrayed you? No. Nor did I take the Exalted Whore's pity. I may have betrayed our nation to follow my Princess, but I still had my pride. I _rotted_ away on the streets. I resolved to live, simply to spite Lucina."

"How good of a ruler is she, out of interest?"

"A useless one. Always moaned about her dead father and never bothered to sire an heir, was ruler in name only. Eventually she was asked to step down. Last I knew, Cynthia ruled as Exalt with Gerome as her consort."

"Ah..a shame. Best not tell Marc, eh?"

"A wise idea."

Morgan raised an eyebrow. "So, how'd you make your way to Haven?"

"I was found, Morgan."

Alarm tore through Morgan as Emi's tone of voice changed. Gone was the usual near shy cheer, replaced by a worshipful giddiness.

"The Divine Mother." The Archer beamed. "The first child of the Fell Dragon, and all of Plegia's children must exalt her."

"Where?" "Where'd you meet her?"

"Here."

Morgan's eyes widened. " _What?"_

"She's here, in Haven."

"Take me to her." Morgan demanded. If what Emi said was true, the 'Divine Mother' was likely a threat.

"As you wish, Princess."

* * *

The caravan was stopped by the side of the dirt road that led to the Wind Tribe lands. Given that Hoshido, or at least, part of it, intended to invade them, they were on high alert. They had stopped to rest for the night.

A figure appeared on the road. He was alone, so Hayato rode up with two guards.

"Hayato." Kaze greeted. "It's been a while."

"Suzukaze." The Wind Mage inclined his head. "I hear you follow Corrin now."

"I do."

Hayato sighed. "You'll be here for Kana then."

"She's here?"

"She's playing with my daughter." Hayato explained. "You will not disturb her."

"I understand. I have a daughter myself."

Hayato raised an eyebrow. "Really now, and you love her?"

A smile crept onto Kaze's face. "…Very much so."

"Then why come here alone?"

"I will not have my failure fall back on her." Kaze sighed. "Haven loved that girl, and my part in her kidnapping has cast a shadow over her as well."

Hayato nodded. "Fair enough. Well, follow on. We'll let you meet her later."

The ninja allowed himself a smile as he strode over to the camp. It had been eight years since he had helped kidnap her, now he'd be the one to bring her home.

With luck.

* * *

 **Historical Logs: Lady Castor and Lord Pollux**

 _Next to nothing is known about how or why the twins that would go on to be known as Castor and Pollux ended up on the streets of Venezia, Nestra. No one is really sure what their original names were. But Castor and Pollux, though sheer force of will and sacrificing their mental stability, clawed their way out of the muck and grime of the gutters of Venezia._

 _It was Lady Anna I that found them, giving them the names of the legendary twins that travelled to Sigal with Iskander, later founding two of the Duchies in what would later become the Kingdom of Nohr, Castor (The Fox) was the founder of the Reynard Family, and Pollux (the Stag) was the founder of the Blackhart Family._

 _The fates of the Havenite Twins are unknown, however neither were seen after the events of the War of Three Thrones._

 _Excerpt from the book "A History of Heroes", written by Munakata Kaito, circa year 245 n.h.c._


	40. Chapter 40

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

"Ah." Grima intoned as the world shifted around him and Selena. "We're seeing this one."

"Seeing what?" His pseudo-daughter asked.

"…My resurrection."

The figures silently walked onwards over the desert towards a ruin, seemingly ignoring Selena and her Father. She had to remind herself that all of this had actually already happened, and the memory wouldn't change simply for its own remembrance.

"That is the Dragon's Table." Grima explained. "The prison of the Earth Dragon's."

"What are the Ea-"

"A topic far too complicated for a single conversation and one I am thoroughly unwilling to have."

Selena sighed, understanding that there was little point in pushing the matter further. Her eyes fell upon a woman in an archaic Grimleal robe, she appeared to be talking to another woman, with silvery locks cascaded down her shoulders.

"Mother. It's time. All of the followers have assembled." The woman with silver hair murmured.

"Thank you, Augustina." Melusine smiled, placing a hand on her daughters shoulder. "Get into position yourself. It's time you met your grandfather."

"Of course. Good luck, Mother."

Melusine smiled warmly, and ushered her away. Selena shot Grima a questioning look.

"That is indeed Divine Augustina." Grima smiled. "Founder of your family line, and one of the most powerful Mage's that Plegia…and possibly your world, ever produced."

"…She's pretty."

"..Well, now you know where you get your own beauty from then."

"Don't be creepy."

Grima let out a laugh. "Oh please. The only women that have ever managed to turn my head were your own Mother Cordelia and Melusine's mother Olrun. You are neither of them."

" **MY CHILDREN!** " Melusine's voice thundered over the crowds, catching of their attentions. " **IT IS TIME! PREPARE YOUR MAGICS!"**

As she spoke, two of the Divine's placed the mummified remains of Absolom onto the plain looking altar, and stepped away to join their siblings. Within moments, Melusine began to channel energy into the remains, and shortly afterwards, the Divine's started to channel energy into their mother, with their own followers channeling into their Lord or Lady Divine.

After a full five minutes, the body shuddered back into life. The ancient being peered at his hand as muscle and skin regrew at an excruciating rate. As the crowds let out jubilant and joyful cheers, a loud, agonized howl broke out from the altar.

" _ **WHY?! WHY BRING ME BACK?!"**_ Absolom, now Grima, screeched as he gripped his daughter by the collar, waves of power radiating off of him. _ **"ANSWER MEEEEE!"**_

"We needed you back, great Absolom." Melusine intoned reverently, keeping her gaze to the ground.

The past-Grima clawed at his own face, ripping away at flesh and muscle and bone. " _ **SEND ME BACK! I CANNOT EXIST LIKE THIS!"**_

"F-Father! Stop! Plea— _ **AACK**_!" Melusine began to protest, only to be blasted by an orb of red and purple. She collapsed in a heap, twitching as the foul energies tore through her veins. Screaming, Grima tore into the sky, sickly purple energy bleeding off of him as he did so.

"That was the moment." Selena's father sighed. "That's when I cursed her to eternity."

"What was it like?" She asked. "The next world, I mean."

"….I can't say." Grima said in a sombre tone. "Words would only diminish it."

"Praise him!" Melusine's voice carried across the throng of people, as the woman hauled herself to her feet. "P-Praise the great Dragon!"

"PRAISE HIM!"

"Well that was fun." The man with bright green hair commented cheerfully a little while later. Fabian, the eleventh Divine, was famed for his wanderlust and love of new things, so much so that he (and his servants, the Anna's) researched and created the first of the Deeprealm Gates, so that their Lord Divine could explore and experience entire new worlds. In essence, one of his siblings had quipped, he had broken the very walls of reality itself, because he was **bored.**

"You aren't staying Brother?" Augustina queried.

"Nope! There's something called an 'Internet Café' in one Deeprealm that I am interested in going to. Not entirely sure what an 'internet' is, but it sounds fun. See you Tina. Try to stay alive." With little more than a half-hearted wave, Divine Fabian sauntered off.

"...Why did I need to see this?" Selena queried quietly.

"Because, if there's anything to learn from this, it is this.." Grima concluded. "Everything that happened, the First Exalt, Plegia, your Father's death…and centuries of war…even your own abandonment of your family...were all caused by one little girl wanting her father back. Any single desire can cause ripples that can never be foreseen."

"Perhaps you ought to focus on waking up?" Grima commented. "At this point, I'd assume they think you're in a coma."

"W-What?"

"It's time to go home, Severa. Go back to Plegia. Go to the Dragon's Table."

"…Why?"

The being smiled. "Because it's time you embraced destiny."

* * *

Watching over her lover as she slept in a seemingly unending sleep, Camilla let out a weary sigh. Her remaining retainer quietly entered the room.

"She has not awoken?" Beruka asked quietly.

Camilla shook her head sadly. "No. She hasn't….which leaves us little options."

The Princess let out a sigh, and stood up. She strode to the door, and addressed one of the guards posted outside. She cleared her throat, and her tone turned authoritative.

"…Bring us Zola." Camilla commanded.

* * *

 **Historical Logs: Saizo Suzukaze**

 _Perhaps the most hated member of King Corrin's Royal Blades was Saizo Suzukaze. Second son of the fourth Saizo, Saizo Ken, Suzukaze was never trained to take up the mantle of 'Saizo'. Instead being trained as a retainer for the second Prince of Hoshido, supposedly Prince Corrin, when the world believed him to be the son of King Sumeragi of Hoshido. He served under his liege lord during the Conquest of Valla. Shortly afterwards, he would return to Hoshido and, in an act of vile betrayal, reveal Haven to the Kingdom, which resulted in the kidnapping of Princess Cana._

 _He married the first Minister of Agriculture, a former Hoshidan commoner by the name of Mozu, and had a single child with her, a girl, Midori._

 _Excerpt from the book "A History of Heroes", written by Munakata Kaito, circa year 245 n.h.c._

* * *

 **Hey folks. Apologies for the delay with this chapter. I've been quite ill again, and then writers block set in. Whilst it's still got some hold on me, I will be continuing this story. I have a whole third part of the trilogy to do after this after all! We're approaching the final arc (or so)**


	41. Chapter 41

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

Of the few pleasures Corrin enjoyed, perhaps the one he enjoyed the most was waking up with his beloved in his arms. Whilst the both of them were admittedly lacking in morality and, to some degree, sanity, they did truly cherish one another. The Kingdom was, technically speaking a diarchy, due to both King and Queen having equal power (At least for now. When Shigure took the throne, then Haven would be a true monarchy), however Azura was happy to let Corrin rule the Kingdom, preferring to rule over the Palace.

The King often woke first, but remained unmoving until his wife woke. He enjoyed looking out of the window to watch the sunrise. Sometimes his wife and sons would join him, although this was often on 'festival' days.

He had been awake for a while now, enjoying his wife's warmth. It was a knock at the door that snapped him out of his trance like state. "...Come in."

The door opened, and Jakob, carrying a tray, strode in. His son, Dwyer, was barely a step behind him, carrying a basket of still warm bread.

"...Good morning, Jakob." Corrin greeted his servant and friend with a smile. "I see you've brought young Dwyer today."

"Indeed, My King." The butler smiled politely, setting a tray of tea on one of the rooms tables. "I thought it prudent to teach him what his future duties will be."

"A wise idea." Corrin admitted with a smile. He shifted beneath Azura. The blunette groaned in her sleep, but did not awaken. Her husband let out a quiet chuckle. "I think that we will be a little while longer. Is there anything pressing we need attend to?"

"Nothing that cannot wait, My King." Jakob informed him. "Preparations for the Founding Festival are beginning, and the workers are putting the execution platform together. Dorian has released Skald to your dungeons. Takumi remains in his cell, and Hinoka continues to ask to speak with him."

"Allow it. And Gadrande?"

"It has been necessary to remove Gadrande's hands, My King. He tried to kill himself rather than face justice."

"Very good. We will be along later, Jakob." Corrin told him. "I do not know how long it will take _this one_ to awaken." He continued, inclining his head to Azura.

"As you wish, Corrin."

When the door closed behind the pair, Corrin let out a sigh.

"He's gone now."

Azura's eyes flickered open, and a broad, cat like grin crossed her face. "Good, I can't tell you how awkward it would have been if he had walked in on us…"

" _Again."_

"Yes, _Again."_ She nodded in agreement. "The only person that should see me... _all_ of me, is you."

Corrin soon wore a matching grin. "That can be arranged, my love."

* * *

Suzukaze watched with fond amusement as Kana and Rhajat chased one another around the small camp. It had been a few days since he had found Hayato and the Wind Tribe. He had enjoyed the peace and quiet the visit had calmed him greatly. He had found the Tribesmen to be thoroughly decent folk, if a little distrusting of him. Understandably, of course. He was from a foreign nation that had yet to reveal themselves to the world at large, after all.

It was nearly dusk when the first sign of trouble appeared. Figures moving in the forests, hushed whispers. The thick fog that wafted in around them was the last inkling that something was amiss.

Then _they_ appeared.

The figures wore robes of deep blue and silver, with their hoods covering their faces. Long knives in their hands. At their head, stood a figure that Kaze recognised.

"Yukimura?" The ninja asked aloud, bewildered. "What are you doing? Here to take Kana back to your Hoshidan masters?"

"I have _no_ Hoshidan masters." He informed him, with a smile. "I serve a greater being. Of course, that doesn't mean I _won't_ kill you."

"You understand...Corrin _doesn't_ know! There'll be war! You'd plunge this continent into war for...what? Glory? You cannot have Kana! Corrin will drown your men in blood if you try!"

Yukimura sneered. "Oh no no. For I shall inform Anankos's heir of your...treachery. Of how you tried to take little Kana back to the foul Hoshidan's. How you yet again betrayed his trust, and the trust of your wife and daughter. And I will bring sweet little Kana back to her loving parents. It's an entirely believable falsehood."

Kaze grit his teeth, his hand going for his blades, his mind running faster than it ever had before, moreso than during the Taking of Valla. "...You're a servant of Anankos?"

The bespectacled man threw his head back and let out a cruel laugh. "I am amazed that none of the Hoshidan's noticed. Even the Great One's traitorous whore of a consort didn't piece it together. And soon, I will join the service of His son, as I always ought to have done."

"What reason could you have to want to serve Corrin?" Kaze demanded.

"I was Anankos's High Priest!" Yukimura glared. "I am the foremost of his servants by _**right!**_ "

"Not anymore." Kaze grinned. "That position could go to any number of people. Her Highness Princess Lilith, Her Majesty Queen Azura, High Marshall Silas? Anyone."

"Then they will be dealt with." Yukimura declared. "What is mine, _is mine._ Now...Servants of the Silence! Wipe them out!"

A howl rose up from the men, and they charged with their knives. Kaze's own blades crashed against those of the Cultists. They were sloppy, easily countered thanks to his years of experience, but their numbers soon overwhelmed him, Saizo Suzukaze, Royal Blade of Haven, seemingly fell beneath their blades.

"You're wasting my time." Hayato scowled as he grasped his tome with an almost lazy ease, one hand raised against his foes. _"_ _ **Asphyxiate.**_ _"_

Almost as one, the four cultists around him started to claw at their throats, but within the space of a few moments, they were laying, still on the ground.

"That was tediou-GAaaK!" Hayato was suddenly wracked by pain, his gaze turned to face Yukimura. The man had a hand raised, and his eyes glinted with an unhidden, dark happiness.

"Well." The man said. "I _am_ a Puppeteer. Now..Kill your tribesmen, please. That spell of yours will do fine."

And with visible tears in his eyes, Hayato did.

" _ **Asphyxiate"**_

* * *

Kana and Rhajat cowered just beyond the treeline. The carnage unfolding before them was alien to their young eyes. The heir of two tribes clung to her friend as battle was waged all around them. She screamed as the man with glasses blasted her father into a tree with a sickening crunch. He didn't get back up.

"Well!" The bespectacled monster said in a conversational tone. "That was bracing. You must be young Kana. I am Yukimura, and I have come to take you to your father."

Stood where the little girl once did was now a dragon, wings slowly unfurling as the beast let out a howl, as though recognising the power that she now had use of. A look of shocked, delighted awe crossed Yukimura's face.

"Ha! I knew it! I knew she could do it!" He shouted gleefully. "Men! Exalt her! The granddaughter of the Great one!"

"Exalt her! Exalt her!" The cries of the cultists carried loudly into the air, until the dragon turned her wrath towards them. She barreled towards the cultists, goring them on her staglike antlers. The giddy look vanished from Yukimura's face, and he raised an arm, intend on using his magics to control, or at least calm the beast.

Only for the beast to bite down and clean through his arm. She spat the appendage out and bounded back to her friend. Wrapping her tail around Rhajat and positioning the young girl on her back, Kana bound off into the forest, leaving the dead, dying and bleeding cultists in her wake.

"FIND THEM!" Yukimura howled as he clutched the bloody stump that was now his left arm. "I DON'T CARE IF YOU HAVE TO BURN DOWN THE WHOLE DAMN FOREST, FIND THAT LITTLE BITCH AND BRING HER TO ME!"

* * *

 **Historical Logs: Loki**

 _Nothing is known of the man that was once Loki, save for the fact that he was once a member of the Ice Tribe. It is rumoured that he volunteered for bodily experimentation by the HMMSR, and that was how he gained his incredible, likely unparalleled control over ice magic. More rumours state that he was dead, kept alive by the same magicks that gave movement to the Faceless, and eventually the Withered, but these rumours are fringe theories at best._

 _Loki was somehow slain near the conclusion of the War of Three Thrones._

 _Excerpt from the book "A History of Heroes", written by Munakata Kaito, circa year 245 n.h.c._

* * *

 **To answer agarfinkel's question, yes, I have played Echoes. But that was after I had Grima's backstory all planned out for this series.**

 **Also, as should be sadly obvious by now, I am slowing down a lot with this story. Writers Block has well and truly set in. I will finish it, but the end date is getting ever further away.**


	42. Chapter 42

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

"M-Might I ask why you wanted to see me, Princess?" Zola asked, very aware of the large battleaxe the eldest of the Nohrian Princesses was holding to his throat. He was also acutely aware of the dark, near murderous glare that the Princess's retainer was shooting him. They were in his quarters in the Palace. Small and comfortable,

"Haven."

Camilla's voice had been quiet, lacking her usual, _expected_ anger. Displaying instead the quiet, regal authority that her brothers so easily carried themselves with. It alarmed Zola greatly, and terrified him moreso.

"Haven, your highness?" He asked, keeping his voice as calm as he could. "What about Haven?"

"Take us there." Was her demand.

Zola swallowed, his eyes darting between the two women. It would likely be a _very_ bad idea to refuse her. On the other hand, if he returned to Grandhaven, he doubtless would choose to stay, to adopt the persona of Guard Fred again. To walk the streets with Sam, to eat the fresh bread and drink with his friends..he couldn't deny that it was tempting.

"Why?" He asked quietly.

"...They have healers. Selena needs them." It was Beruka that spoke. She surprisingly, scared him even more than the Princess did. Whilst Camilla enjoyed fighting, and would often give her enemies a chance (even if it soon turned one-sided in her favour), Beruka had no such ideals. She would simply kill her foes in the quickest, most efficient manner possible.

 _Ah. Love._ That explained it to Zola. Camilla's relationship with her retainers was well known, and most, if not all of the Palace servants approved. It had calmed the previously sadistic Princess's murderous impulses down, after all. "...I will require time. A few days. I could have things ready by the end of the week."

"..Three days? You expect me to leave her comatose for _THREE MORE DAYS?!"_ " Camilla roared. "We need to leave _now!"_

"I _need_ time, your highness!" Zola protested as he tore free from her grasp, nursing his throat. "You ask me to smuggle you into a deeprealm Kingdom that we're at war with, or very soon will be! I _require_ three days to ensure your safety, as well as Lady Selena's."

Silence fell upon the group for a few moments, before the eldest Princess nodded once. "Three days. And not a word to anyone."

"...Understood, Your Highness."

* * *

Emi cheerfully led the Plegian twins, and Nyx, to the bakery. The witch had insisted that she go along, since she had already met 'Merry'. Ophelia was busy playing with Prince Shigure in the royal gardens, with Azura keeping an eye on the both of them.

The small group entered the bakery one by one, a wave of heat and the smell of bread washed over them all. The dark-haired entity that owned the building appeared from what Marc assumed was the kitchen in the back.

"..Emi! You've brought guests. Hello again, Nyx. Good to see you." Merry offered a cheerful wave from behind the front counter. Her eyes glanced over Morgan and Marc, before narrowing her gaze in annoyance. "What is it you want?"

It was Morgan that spoke first. "Noire….Emi says you're the Divine Mother. That true?"

"Completely." Merry grinned as she sat herself on the counter. "I am Melusine, the first child of the Fel, and the Divine Mother. A pleasure to meet you at last, Morgan and Marc di Augustina. I am glad my daughter's line still remains strong."

"Why the hell are you here in Haven?" Morgan demanded, causing Emi to snarl in annoyance, only to be called off by a wave of her mistress's hand. "And what's stopping us kicking you out?"

"Oh. I doubt very much you'll force me away. Number one, I've had _at least_ ten millennia to perfect my power. Number two, I'm likely more powerful than my father at this point. And number three….you've not heard my offer yet.."

"Offer?" Marc asked, almost intrigued. "Go on…"

"My offer is simple." Melusine explained with a self-indulgent smile. "You will allow me to remain here, in my bakery. In return, I shall lift the curse on your beloved."

"But you said you couldn't!" Nyx all but screeched. It burned that she could have had this hateful curse lifted days prior. She had waited _so_ long to be rid of this foulness, and to know that it had been _so_ close...hurt.

"Oh. I lied, obviously." Melusine waved dismissively. "Frankly, it's not that complex a spell to undo...for me. Most likely one of the runes of the spell was misread." She grinned at the insulted look on Nyx's face, before clearing her throat. "Come now, you were _fifteen,_ if I recall correctly _._ Is it so hard to believe that you would mispronounce a word? Especially when you are reading what was likely a _very_ old language. Mispronunciations are common in such instances. Frankly I'm amazed that such a young girl had the potential to survive casting such a spell, let alone come out of it in one piece. Be proud. It is rare that a creature such as I am amazed by anything." Her gaze flittered between Nyx and Marc, and an almost amused grin crossed the ancient creature's face. "Of course, you'll need to cease you...activities together for a year or so. She would be _fifteen_ after all. Whilst I'm certain that our dear King Corrin wouldn't _kill_ you for that sort of thing, I'm not sure he wouldn't geld you."

Marc merely hardened his glare. "I am aware. I am the Ruler of the Plegians, not a monster."

"There is one...minor.. _issue_ however." False hesitation laced Merry's voice. "It will...require someone to take on the curse in your place.."

Almost as if on cue, Emi stepped forward, and knelt before her Mistress. "I volunteer, great one. I shall carry the burden of immortality, and serve you for the rest of my days.."

Melusine clapped her hands together gleefully. "Perfect!"

Marc scowled, and lifted his left hand, his right flipped open his tome. "You shall not do that. _**IGNIS, ARCFIRE!**_ "

The ancient being didn't even try to protect herself, instead allowing the spell to slam straight into her face, burning down to bone, with only a few scraps of charred flesh surviving the onslaught. And before the others eyes, Melusine's blackened skin crackled and hissed as it slowly stitched itself back together. Within moments, there was no evidence that she had been hit by a fireball.

"...That tickled." She deadpanned. "Regardless, the choice as to whether or not my dear Emissary takes up Lady Nyx's false-immortality is _not in your hands, but her own._ Surely you do not presume to make such a momentous choice for her?"

Marc glared, but remained silent.

"It is fine, my Lord." Emi smiled. "This is my choice. Both parties will be happy, after all."

"Glorious." Melusine grinned. "Ladies, please... _kneel."_

Placing a hand on both womens heads, and her eyes blazed with a fiery orange glow. Her voice echoed with power as she chanted the transferal spell. If she was honest, it was mostly for show, with her power, she could do it with little more than a wave of a hand. But, trust was required. After a few moments, she removed her hands, and stepped back. "There. Welcome to immortality, my dear Emissary." She said, embracing the red-head with a grin. Her gaze turned to Nyx, herself in Marc and Morgan's own embraces.

 _Slowly but surely._ Melusine kept her smile. _I will prevent more souls from entering the beyond. I need never suffer the agony of loneliness! Father's curse will be moot, FOR NONE SHALL ASCEND TO THE HEAVENS ONCE MY WORK IS COMPLETE!_

* * *

The wagon rattled down the old forest path. It's driver was bring Hoshidan goods to Nestra. That was about all he knew what to do these days. In his youth, he had been betrayed. He had spent most of his life a broken man, travelling from place to place in his wagon. He did own a small house in the Nestrian city of Cyrkensia, but he was rarely there. It was more of a rest stop than a home. His home was long gone now.

He pulled his horses to a stop as he spotted something unusual. A great channel of trees and bushes flattened either side of the road. Another wagon, perhaps? A carriage? He swung himself onto the muddy ground beneath his wagon and horses, and started to head down the slope. He was wholly unprepared for what he found..

Two young girls, hiding behind a log and clinging to one another, visible tears streaming down their cheeks.

The man pulled down his hood, revealing silvery hair (with a small amount of black hair remaining), beneath. He sighed softly, and knelt down, so as to speak to the girls face to face.

"I am Shura." He told them with a smile. "Are you lost?"

The girls stayed quiet, save for there sniffling. Shura unclasped his cloak, and wrapped it around them. He looked around, for signs of anyone else around. _No one._

"..I-It….I-It was the bad men." The girl with pale hair spoke up. "They hurt Papa!"

The man frowned a little. _Bandits aren't normally that….brazen._

"I see." Shura murmured. "Come..I'll get you to the next town. Gods willing, your father will be there waiting for you."

Slowly, he ushered them up the hill, back to his wagon. The elder, or, who he assumed was the elder, spoke up as they walked. "...'m Rhajat….this is Kana...thank you for your kindness, Sir.."

The other one, Kana, remained silent.

 _Poor girl._ Shura thought. _Probably traumatised._

He ushered them into the wagon, and under the large blanket that covered his wares.

"Keep your heads down now." Shura instructed as the wagon started to move again.

"...Well then, here we go…"

* * *

 **And so Kana and Rhajat exit the stage...at least until Darkthrones (or whatever I end up calling Part 3 of this trilogy of mine). We're finally at the home stretch! Got the festival arc and the big final arc left! And Merry's plan is revealed at last! Gotta spread that immortality!**


	43. Chapter 43

Italics = Thought

I do not own Fire Emblem.

Cross published on A03

* * *

Corrin, wearing his ornate 'Havenite Royal' armour, strode out of the Palace, his hand in Azura's. Their sons trotted ahead of them, with Shigure slipping into what Lilith had coined 'Protective Brother Mode'. It warmed both their hearts, and the hearts of their people, to see the boy that would, in all likelihood, rule them one day, acting in such a manner at such a young age. Surprisingly, they had managed to coax young Molin along, and the taguel youth had a genuine smile on his face as he stayed near the Princes.

The objective for today was relatively simple. They would go on a short trip into the city to gain an update on the preparations for the founding festival. Showing off their loving family to their citizens was an unspoken bonus.

The first people they met that they knew were Silas and his family. Sophie unashamedly threw herself at Caleb in order to hug her cousin. The pair were close, even at their young age, and they likely could be considered friends. Shigure on the other hand, embraced his Aunt Lilith, with all the typical hesitation of a twelve year old. Lilith, as usual, pretended not to notice.

"Silas." Corrin greeted his brother-in-law with a grin. "Good to see you out and about. Everything nearly ready?"

"Nearly Corrin. On schedule, at any rate." The Highlord of Haven nodded. "Castor and Pollux are off of Anna's leash, so you might want to check in with them. Mozu too. She's a little concerned about Kaze."

"Noted, although Lilith is probably best to talk with Minister Mozu, she's more of a people person than I am. I'll check in with the terrible twosome, but for now I trust Pollux to keep Castor from murdering some poor innocent workman."

"- _Again."_

"..Yes, _again._ " Corrin sighed. "At least _he_ can fake being sane."

"He's faking it?" Silas asked with a mocking smile. "I honestlycooouldn't tell."

"Indeed." Corrin let out another sigh. "He's the only one that can quote-unquote 'control' her."

"...By fucking her, you mean."

"Mind your language around the children, Silas." The King chided cheerfully. "I doubt you want expletives escaping the mouth of your precious daughter."

"...Lilly would kill me, true." Silas agreed, before pausing. "...Please don't tell her."

"Not a word!" He grinned.

"Uncle Corri, Uncle Corri!" The Princess of the Teague family skipped over to the Havenite King with cheery grin on her face. "Hug please!"

Corrin let out a warm chuckle, and hoisted his niece into his arm. "Haaah! Anything for a Princess."

Sophie giggled happily, and once Corrin put her down dashed back over to her cousins, who were busy...interrogating Molin about his new weapon. The taguel wore an uneasy smile as he answered their questions, and kept having to move the weapon out of their reach from the children's young, grabby hands.

Silas let out a sigh beside Corrin. "...You're set on our path, aren't you my friend? We only have eight more years."

"...But it is all for a millennium of peace." Corrin reminded him with a sad smile. "For as a fire burns a forest to a burned out husk to allow for new growth, so too does war and bloody conflict pave the way for true peace."

"And with Nohr and Hoshido being dragged deeper and deeper into conflict, they'll-"

"Peace, Silas. Let us not focus on such distasteful matters now. Let us go find the murder

Twins, Azura and Lilith can watch the children for a while."

"You're just coming up with names for them now, aren't you?" Silas smirked.

"It passes the time." Corrin shot a grin back in return.

It took the pair less than ten minutes to find the brother and sister. As punishment for their treatment of Hinoka and Setsuna (But not for the slaying of Azama. Corrin shied away from calling it murder. Death in actual conflict could rarely be declared as such, after all.), they were made to oversee the construction of the execution platform that would see the deaths of Skald, Takumi and Gadrande. It was a twofold plan, showing whether or not the pair could be trusted...or whether they'd follow the traitorous former Royal Blade (who had been entirely removed from every record. In Haven's eyes, the man had never existed) into oblivion.

"Lady Castor! Lord Pollux!" Corrin called out in greeting, even offering a cheery wave as he approached. "How is the execution platform coming along?"

"It's great, your Majesty." Castor chirped with a smile from a nearby table, on which the plans were laid out. "Pol's nearly done with the 'skeleton' as it were. After that, it'll just be a matter of putting the decoration on."

"Splendid. You are redeeming yourselves." He said, his smile thinning. "Setsuna and Hinoka are better...or better than they were, at any rate. Unsurprisingly, neither are in any hurry to see you again."

The female half of the pair sighed. "...We understand...my King."

"I should hope so. Anna has told you of the plan, I take it?"

Her face lit up. "Oh yes! I must commend you, Majesty. It is an ingenious plan. One the foul Hoshidans and Nohrians will never see coming. Although….may I ask how we intend to get to the kingdoms from-"

"Dorian has a solution to that. One that will soon be demonstrated. I am certain you'll be impressed by the efforts of our dear mad Doctor and titular King Marc. Although Marc is not that happy with me right now." Corrin told her. "I might have pushed him and his mages a little too far with this latest move of mine with our actions at Dresden."

"We look forward to it, My King." Castor smiled, offering him a clumsy curtsy. "The platform will be ready, and our Mother will not fail you."

"Very good. Carry on, Lady Castor."

* * *

Leo didn't look up as someone entered his office. It wasn't uncommon for him to have various members of the court drift in with proposals or attempts to gain influence. It wasn't until he heard his brother's voice leave the figure that he looked up from his work.

"Brother." He greeted with a nod. "If this is about my fast-tracking Niles adoption of Nina, I can explain."

"No brother….it's about Dresden." Xander told him in a careful tone. The Nohrian monarch cleared his throat, and walked to the table in front of Leo. Steadying himself on the edge, he spoke again. "The Hoshidans have sacked it."

Nohr's so-called 'Green Prince' was silent for a few moments, and when he spoke again, his voice was devoid of emotion. "...And my for-...my father-in-law?"

"...Gordon Blackhart is confirmed deceased, as are his two eldest sons, Alfred and Clive. I'm sorry, brother."

Leo was silent for a few moments, before he clasped a hand around the ornate golden goblet he had been given by his brothers-in-law as a wedding gift, and drained it of its contents. The wine burned his throat as it went down, but the Prince showed no discomfort. He set the goblet down, and simply stared at the papers on his desk. He didn't even react when Xander started to speak again.

"Casualties are almost certainly in the tens of thousands." The King declared quietly. "Damn Hoshidans…"

"..Give me command."

His brother's words startled Xander. The blonde King raised a brow. "Excuse me?"

"Shut the hell up and give me command of our damn armies Xander!" Leo now roared, standing up from the table. "Thousands dead by Hoshidan blades! Our largest city struck! Give me command! Let the path of ruin we will blaze act as our peoples pyre!"

"Very well" Xander sighed deeply."...however, I want General Hannibal to assist you."

Astolfo Hannibal was one of the most ruthless, efficient commanders the Kingdom of Nohr had left. What's more, he had been born in Dresden, so his thirst for vengeance would be great. In all likelihood, he'd take ten Hoshidan lives for every one Nohrian life lost. He was also the prime choice to replace the now dead Arya Morrison as Grand Marshal, although nothing had been set in stone. He was known for being fair and good to his men, and merciless to his foes, the model Nohrian commander.

"His skills would be a boon, true." Leo acknowledged with a nod. "The greatest son of Dresden avenging it..I can see the appeal. Very well, your Majesty. I..Forgive me...I ought to tell Forrest.."

Without waiting for approval, Prince Leonhardt von Nohr stormed out of his office, and headed to his own chambers. His son, Forrest, had been settled into his own small room in the chambers barely two days before. It dawned on Leo, as he entered Forrest's room, that had he refused to bring him to the capital, his son, _Aveline's_ son, would have likely died alongside his Uncles and Grandfather.

"F-Father?" A wave of shame washed over Leo at the unease at which his son used that term of address. "W-What are you doing here?"

Being brought out of his thoughts, Leo stepped forward, and embraced his son.

"...I'm sorry." He murmured. "I'm so..so sorry."

"What do you Father?" The small boy, his curly hair kept long asked shyly.

"Dresden has fallen." Leo told him, in as calm a tone he could muster. "...It was Hoshido."

"W-What about Grandfather? A-And Uncle Clive? Uncle A-Alfred?" The boy's voice wavered. Even at his young age, he understood what his father's words meant. He might have been raised in the city, but he had had a Prince's education. When his father didn't answer, his little resolve broke, and he openly wept into Leo's shoulder.

The father allowed the son to cry, somehow maintaining his own composure. After five minutes, the Prince stood up, and helped his son to his feet. "...You need to be seen to be strong now."

"B-But..why?" Forrest sniffled.

"Nohr has been wounded deeply. Insulted. I have been given command for the retaliation." Leo told him gravely. "The people will be looking to us, the Royal family for guidance. You must bury your grief, at least for now. Grieve with the people when the time comes. And show your hatred with them. Allow yourself to hate Hoshido with our people."

Forrest sniffled again, but hesitantly nodded. Leo sighed softly, and rested a hand on his son's shoulder.

"I also need you to look after Nina." Leo almost smiled. "I am aware that you two already get on well, and the poor girl frankly needs a friend. Do you think you can do that for me?"

"I-I think so.." Came Forrest's reply.

"...And behave around her." A small grin formed on his face. "As of this morning, she is the daughter of a Nohrian Baron. The Honourable Nina Von Dulham. I expect you to act according to your rank as a Nohrian Prince."

"Y-Yes father."

"...And when I return….we'll talk. Father to son." Leo sighed quietly. "I have been unjustly...harsh with you. I will not promise to become the model father. But I will at least change to be worthy of the title."

Without another word, Leo departed. He stalked through the halls to find Niles. Odin had remained missing since their journey to Nestra, and frankly was now an afterthought. It was ever loyal Niles that had remained at his side, and it was ever loyal Niles that would go on to stand at Leo's side during the catastrophic events that would follow...

* * *

The spell-circle drawn by Zola appeared complicated, although the illusionist made it look easy. He drew it without even a moment's hesitation, something that Camilla made a mental note to ask about later. After murmuring a few words under his breath, and quietly igniting it with a fire tome, he ushered the trio into the newly formed pillar of light. As they did so, the world around them changed. The group exited into the Vellus District, the area of haven in which the Beastkin made their home.

"...It's almost pretty." Camilla commented as the world solidified around the group. Selena

was being carried on Camilla's back. "And this was built in twelve years?"

"Over the course of twelve years, that is correct." Zola answered. "Now, we need to get to the Plegian district. Their healers are likely the most able to assist you."

"Would it not be easier to go to Corrin? Where would he be?"

"King Corrin will be up there." Zola pointed at the Palace, looming over the city from the central ring. "The Babel Tower. All that remains of the Isaurian Royal Palace of Valla. That's what most of the city walls are built from. However, it is likely he'd take you all prisoner."

"You know much of this city." Beruka pointed out.

"I spent most of the last five years here as a guard, my lady." Zola addressed her politely. "I know most of the city districts like the back of my hand."

"I see." Camilla commented with a sigh. "...Lead on then. I am not going to wait. Selena is counting on us to help her."

"As you say, Princess."

 **I have an ask blog! Askdarkworlds over on tumblr! Go and ask the cast any random questions that pop into your heads!**


	44. Chapter 44

Astolfo Hannibal, proud son of the city of Dresden and General of the Nohrian army was readying his men. The news of the fate of his home city had broken him, and the fearsome military commander had openly wept as he had told his soldiers of the news. Without being ordered, he readied his soldiers for a retaliatory strike. The man that stood before the soldiers in the Anya Barracks was young for his position, not yet thirty. His red hair cascaded down his back down well past his shoulders, and his eyes shone like emeralds in his skull. His armour, dented and scraped, still managed to carry the dignity of the Nohrian army.

Happily for him, Prince Leo arrived before his actions could be misconstrued for treason. The look on the Green Prince's face was stormy. Hannibal had had an admittedly few interactions with the King's younger brother, but knew of his reputation. And the fact had he had been married to Governor Blackhart's daughter. The Prince was riding a formidable looking warhorse, the colour of night. He eyed General Hannibal carefully, then turned his attention to the soldiers. A faint smile forming on his face as he did so.

"Prince Leo." Hannibal greeted him with a respectful nod. "I assume you've heard the news of our beloved city?"

"Indeed." Leo sighed as he hauled himself off of his horse. The Green Prince's retainer followed suit. Astolfo recognised him as Baron von Dulhum, the one eyed archer, and rumoured former thief. The man looked around with a look of vague disinterest, before making his way over. "And I see _you_ are already marshalling the troops, General."

"...I make no apologies." Astolfo replied, and calmly dismissed his forces. "The King does not appear to wish to act, so I have opted to do so."

"His Majesty has sent me to lead the strike back." Leo informed him. "Given that you yourself are from Dresden, I believed you would want to assist me."

"..You'd be correct, My Prince."

Leo let out a calming sigh. He strode into the Barracks building, and slumped into the nearest seat. Hannibal soon slumped down beside him. The General looked at him for a few moments, before letting out a soft sigh. "..How many?"

Leo looked him in the eye sadly. "At least thirty thousand, although almost certainly far more than that."

"...And Governor Blackhart?"

"Dead...as are two of his sons."

Astolfo nodded in acceptance. "...You have my condolences, My Prince. He was a good man. A damn good man. I do not doubt he died well."

"...I thank you, Astolfo." Leo smiled. "...What of your family?"

"...Most of mine are among the dead."

"As I have yours, so too do you have my condolences." The Prince inclined his head. "I cannot think of any Nohrian that has not suffered some form of loss due to this."

"...The dead will be avenged, My Prince."

"I assume you have a plan?" Leo queried.

"Indeed." General Hannibal grinned viciously. "We will strike at the very heart of Hoshido.."

Leo merely smiled, despite his current lack of knowledge of Hannibal's plan, the Prince knew that whatever it was, it would be both glorious, and utterly devastating.

* * *

The cell containing her brother was empty, save for a single chain that was attached to the wall on one end, and Takumi's ankle on the other. The former Emperor was scowling as his sister approached, but soon broke into a broad smile as she stopped before him.

"Hinoka!" He all but shouted with glee. "I knew you would not betray me, sister. No hurry, set me free so we might return home and reclaim my throne!"

The redhead shook her head sadly. "...How can you ask me to do that, little brother? You committed _genocide_."

"I HAD THAT RIGHT!" Takumi roared, slamming himself against the cell bars. "I am the Emperor of Hoshido! Rightful ruler of all Sigal! The Flame Tribe died because I desired it! Because they refused to acknowledge me as their ruler!"

Hinoka sighed. "..Even _Nohr_ has never committed genocide, Takumi. They've never wiped out an entire people simply for refusing to surrender. Yet in an afternoon, you brought the condemnation of the world upon us."

"Upon _Hoshido_ you mean." Takumi smirked. "Don't think I haven't noticed that you are still here, Sister."

Hinoka glared at him. "What do you mean?"

"Look at you though." Takumi sneered. "A traitorous little bitch. Are you Corrin's _bitch_ sister? Do you let him bed you? What about Azura? Was a bed and a lover all it took to betray your people, nation and _Me_? Your rightful Monarch?!"

" _Ryoma_ is my rightful Monarch, Brother." Hinoka snapped. "...And Corrin hasn't touched me. Azura has not either. I remain here to try and stop Corrin from doing great harm to _our_ people."

"Pretty words and nothing more." Her brother replied, still sneering. "A traitor's words are nothing more than whispers on the wind. Be gone Muromachi Hinoka. I care not for the sight of your face anymore. And may Anankos bring death and destruction down upon your head."

Footsteps echoed through the prison, stopping when they reached a short distance away from the Hoshidan Siblings.

"Well well well.." An amused voiced cooed behind Hinoka. "What do we have here? A Princess in a place she shouldn't be…"

Dorian Erised smiled cheerfully at Hinoka. "And Corrin will be _most_ interested in hearing that Takumi worships Anankos. Most interested indeed~."

"I forbid you to tell him." Hinoka hissed. The mad doctor strolled close to her, cackling.

"Oh my. Dear Hinoka, for what you've done today, he might well give me you." He cooed again. "Then again, Castor and Pollux do have 'dibs' on you, if I recall. Perhaps after they render you a broken mess, I shall claim you."

"...Corrin won't like that."

"A poor defence." Dorian sighed. "...Plus, there is a good chance that I am lying to simply..'fuck with your head'."

Waving mockingly, he departed, leaving Hinoka glaring at the back of his head. She needed to act fast, or mentally prepare to watch her brother executed.

"Shit."

* * *

The green haired ninja coughed, and tasted copper. Pain shot through him, quickly followed by puzzlement and realisation. He was alive. How was he alive? He was in a tent, and on an uncomfortable bed.

"I am curious..." A voice drew his attention to a stool near the tent flaps. "Was it worth it?"

Kaze winced as he sat up. It took him a few moments to realise that the woman was in fact Sakura. Her hair was still short, but she now wore the armour of a Kinshi Knight.

"Princess? Where are we?" Kaze wheezed.

"Ryukujimaru. A tiny village on the border to Wind Tribe territory." Sakura answered emotionlessly. "We'll be returning with you to Byakuya. You'll be facing trial."

Kaze slumped back onto his bed. "I figured as much. I don't suppose it matter that I am married with a daughter? You'll still drag me back?"

"I care little for that fact. And no doubt your brother will feel the same." Sakura kept her gaze steady and cold. "You are a traitor. That is plain and simple. You will face trial. You will likely be found guilty, and then be beheaded."

"...I see." Kaze sighed in resignation. "...Is there any news on Kana?"

"...If there was, why would I tell you?"

With those words, Sakura departed. Within moments of stepping outside, both of her retainers strode over to her.

"..Princess." Subaki greeted with a respectful nod. "I am afraid we have no news on the Little Princess. It is likely that whomever attacked Suzukaze took her."

Sakura waved a dismissive hand, and Subaki departed. Hana spoke up.

"He's right. Kana is likely in danger."

"...If she is, we will rescue her." Sakura decreed. "I might hold no love for her parents, but I cherished her Grandmother, and I adore her. Whatever force has taken my niece from me had best prepare…"

A thin smile formed on her face. "For I shall _end_ them all."

* * *

 **Thank you to everyone that asked a question on my Blog, they helped me power through the hard parts of this chapter.**

 **Up next we _finally_ enter the last arc.**


	45. Chapter 45

**Can't believe I haven't done one of these before, but gonna have to give Warnings for Castor and Pollux being Castor and Pollux in this chapter, who really should have their own warning by now.**

* * *

Corrin was sat at his desk, sorting through paperwork when Hinoka stormed into his office. The redhead paying Sir Mordred no heed as he tried to usher her away from his Monarch's rooms.

He glanced up, and narrowed his gaze. Azura, who was next to him, sighed, and dismissed the Royal Blade with a gesture. "Do you ever knock Princess? We are busy with matters of state."

"Takumi. I wish him released into my custody." Hinoka bluntly stated. "You do not have the authority to execute him."

"It is only by chance that it has taken this long to prepare the documentation that allows us to do this under Havenite Law." Corrin sighed dramatically, offering his 'sister' a mockingly amused smile. "If seems that regardless of where you go, you can always count on the bureaucracy to slow things down."

"You do recognise what you're asking, yes?" Azura asked in a faintly curious tone, her golden eyes boring into the redheaded Princess. "Truly?"

"I do, yes." She confirmed. "I understand that his crimes are unforgivable. But I ask that he stands trial in Hoshido, not Haven. He is a Hoshidan citizen, not a Havenite one."

"Will Hoshido appropriately punish him for his great crimes?" Corrin asked her pointedly. "I doubt it."

"That might be so, bu-"

"Hinoka. It is done." Azura snapped. "He is guilty, and more horrifically, _proud_ of that fact. He'll die."

Hinoka glared at her.

"What would you honestly have us do, Hinoka?" Corrin asked quietly. "You and I both know that the _most_ Ryoma will do to him is internal exile, or force him to take holy vows. That is _not_ justice. That will not grant his victims their rightful eternal rest. I ask again, what would you have us do?"

The Hoshidan Princess froze for a few moments, and cleared her throat. "Send him to Izumo! They are still neutral, they would give justice. _Rightful_ justice. You could send an emissary to ensure that I speak true."

"Izumo has turned isolationist." Corrin replied dismissively. "Unless you intend to _force_ open their borders, they are unlikely to wish to interfere."

"Nestra is also off of the table." Azura cut in with a faint smile. "They have their own problems. What with their civil war. Regardless of whether or not they are at peace now, they _will_ break out into war once more soon. One faction, under Gallo Barozzi is backed by Nohr. Whilst the other main faction, under Ezio Morosini has the backing of most of the other Trade Princes. War _is_ coming to Nestra."

"Hell, _we'll_ probably get the blame." Corrin piped up. "And we didn't even do anything."

Hinoka snorted. "You're telling me you truly didn't? Forgive me if I find that hard to believe."

"It was not us _this time_." Corrin told her, with a smile. "We'll happily take credit for things we _actually_ did, but not things that had nothing to do with us."

"Go rest, Muromachi Hinoka." Azura told her. "We bear you little ill will, so go and rest. You need not attend the executions. Enjoy the festival, if you can."

Sensing her dismissal was final, Hinoka shot the pair one last glare, before departing. The Royal Couple shared a look, and Corrin sighed. "..Have her watched. If she tries anything, Castor and Pollux can have her."

"Are you certain Love?" Azura asked softly. "She is the only one of that family we li-... _tolerate_."

The King smiled sadly as he stood up. "..If she betrays our trust, we must punish her as harshly as possible."

"Where are you going?" The Queen questioned.

"To ensure Dorian is prepared." Corrin smiled. "The Plan continues, my Love."

* * *

As the small group made their way through the backstreets of Haven, the feeling of something being off grew ever more prevalent in Zola's heart. They were all covered by heavy brown cloaks to hide their faces. Camilla especially, Zola had said, needed to be hidden. The sight of a Princess of Nohr would undoubtedly cause a stir, and gain attention.

"What's with all the banners?" Camilla asked, gesturing to the colourful banners and streamers hug from every wall. Realisation finally dawned on Zola, who paled.

"Oh gods...it's the Founding Festival…." He murmured, panic clear on his face as realisation set in.

"Do I even want to know?" Beruka drawled.

"It is exactly as it sounds." Zola explained, forcing his panic down. "The anniversary of the death of Anankos and the election of the Isauros Dynasty as the rulers of the Havenite Peoples. Aside from Year's End, it is the largest celebration of the Havenite Calendar. Crowds of people, lots of food and drink and general revelry. All paid for by the royal family."

"..Why is this a bad thing?" Camila questioned. "Surely, with more people on the streets it would be easier to hide.."

"You think it would make it easy to go unnoticed? The reason Nohr's homeless population has dropped to near zero is because Haven brought them here. There's probably about five thousand, possibly six thousand, people that could identify you on sight in this city, Princess. Minimum. We need to move."

"..What's the population of Haven?" Beruka queried as Zola tried to pull his hood further down over his face as they walked.

"A few hundred thousand." Zola replied. "Half a million, at most. Almost all live within the walls of this city."

Camilla snorted. "That's _tiny._ Nohr has cities of similar size. Love him though I do, my brother is a little foolish to proclaim being King of a single City."

Zola shrugged. "..Perhaps. But the peoples of Haven love him. Him... _and_ his family. The young Crown Prince, his brother...and their still beloved, missing Sister."

Camilla's eyes widened considerably. "That rumour was * _true?*._

"Indeed." Zola sadly confirmed. "It was...four years after Their Majesties seized their throne. Muromachi Ryoma took control of the Deeprealm gate and snuck into the Palace during a feast, and kidnapped Princess Cana. He slew Highlord Gunter in the process, and lost an arm for his...foul actions."

Camilla went quiet as she mentally digested the information. She never noticed the person that was approaching them, only doing so when they cleared their throat loudly.

"Fancy meeting you again, Princess Camilla." Marc greeted with a polite bow. "Forgive me but I must ask, what is it you are doing here?"

* * *

Castor sighed, and glanced across the execution platform. It was, at long last, completed. She was privately pissed off that she had been roped into doing what amounted to _manual labour._ She was one of the Royal Blades! She wasn't meant to do menial tasks.

The _sole_ upside had been that she had not been kept away from her cherished Pollux. The other half of the soul that rested within her. He who she had entered the world with, and if she had her way, would leave it at her side. Whilst she did not care for anyone save herself and the other half of her soul, she was...grateful to Anna..or felt something she believed was gratefulness towards the redhead, for bringing her and Pollux to Haven. For giving he and her this life of unashamed, bloody hedonism. Murder, torture, sex, alcohol and feasting, all things she enjoyed without hesitation or regret. She was as old as her King had been when he had taken over Valla, twenty-one, yet she had already lived, and lived well in her opinion. That wasn't to say she was in a hurry to be killed, of course. She was quite fond of living, even if she did say so herself.

She cast her mind back to the day she met Anna, the day her life changed.

 _She and her brother dashed down a back alley, out of sight of the guards that were chasing them. Their trophies from the man they had..had their brutal fun with still about their persons. Ill advisedly, certainly. But at the age of fifteen and after four years of living through hell, neither twin cared about what was morally good or morally bad._

 _The Sister pressed The Brother against a wall, her lips pressing against his in needy victory. Their ragged, almost fading brown hair soon tangled together. The Brother's fingers threaded themselves into his sisters sodden locks, and a soft, musical chuckle left his mouth._

" _Come now sister, we can't do this here. It's hardly...enchanting." The Brother chided her with a grin._

" _Don' care." She growled, kissing at her twins chin. "Clothes off. Now."_

" _Sweet sister, we're hardly in private."_

" _Still don' care." She hissed. "I_ need _you..."_

" _Well well, what have we here?" A coy voice filled the twins ears. Striding towards them with a pronounced swagger in her step, was a red headed woman, grinning broadly. "Two naughty children being naughty? How interesting~."_

 _The Sister let out a snarl, and broke away from her brother. She drew her knife, and bolted towards the woman with a screech. She slashed and stabbed at her, and the woman kept a smile on her face as she dodged every attempt. The Woman kicked The Sister in the chest, and batted the knife away. She followed up by taking out The Sister's legs, causing her to land in a heap on the ground._

" _Come on, Kid." The red haired woman smirked. "Did you really think that running at me with a knife would work? I survived far worse in the deeprealms. Demons and monsters and things that make both flee in terror. A scrawny brat with a knife is unlikely to get the better of me."_

" _Who are you?" The Brother questioned as he helped his Sister up._

" _The name's Anna." She introduced herself with a flamboyant bow. "I work for King Corrin Isauros of Haven._

" _You often get your kicks from beating children up?" The Sister spat._

" _And if that Kid tries to stab me? I'm not seeking fights with children, but I'm not so foolishly noble as to not defend myself against them if need be."_

 _This caused both twins to go silent._

" _So! Whatever to do with you two. I coould leave you here. Gods know you'll cause chaos if I let you remain here...which could work in our favour. I cooould slit both of your throats now and be done with it….probably the safest option.." She paused, casting her gaze over the defiant looks on the faces of the twins, and she grinned again. "Alternately, you could come with me."_

" _...What?" The puzzled tone of voice from the female twin._

" _Sure! If you are ballsy enough to attack me, the Gods only know what you'll be capable of with training. You kids got names?"_

 _"..Not anymore." The Brother answered, approval of Anna's idea plain to see._

" _Hmm..if you need names….well, we're in Nestra, so...Castor and Pollux. They're famous Nestrian twins. Came over with Iskander, if the stories are true."_

" _Dibs on Castor!" The Sister declared, her brother shrugged, a name was something precious, and Pollux was good enough._

" _..Well, I suppose that's that then. Come along, twins….you need a bath...or five.."_

Castor smiled a little at the memory. It was a...good one. One she held dear. The start of her new life. The start of her _true_ life. Her brother approached, and greeted him with a smile.

"Are we all ready?" Pollux asked. "The King wants this to go smoothly."

"Looks like it Pol. As long as no one interferes, the King's plan will go without a hitch."

Her brother smiled. Gods did she love that smile. "Good to hear.."

"..Think we can have some time alone?"

Pollux offered her a hand, and the twins slipped away…

* * *

 **Again, apologies for the delay. Not entirely sure if I'll manage to write the third entry of this series, but I will at least finish Darkhearts. If I don't write the third one, I will of course put up a summary of what would have happened.**

 **Also again, thank you to those of you that used the ask blog: askdarkworlds over on tumblr.**


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